Hello Sunshine
by WonderfulCaricature
Summary: Jackie skips town after deciding she's had enough. But when she returns, Hyde is determined to make sure she never leaves again.
1. Chapter 1

**This takes place right after the third episode of season eight: You're My Best Friend. Which is the episode where Donna and Sam become all buddy buddy, but in my rendition Jackie doesn't come back after she leaves. Now, I know Sam is pretty much hated by J/H fans but I don't intend on making her a bitch in this fic. Scenes between her and Jackie will be intense, but that's expected. It's Hyde's point of view. **

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Sam and I watched Donna walk in the basement door and right up the steps, then a few minutes later she came back down and plopped dow next to Sam. She drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair. A pout formed on Sam's face as she watched Donna's impatience rise to new heights with each passing moment. The two of us exchanged a look but nothing more. Sam wasn't the best on picking up hints but she wasn't dumb enough to rub her nose in Donna's business. After a while Donna popped back up, went back to my room, Sam snapped her head around when something fell to the floor. I shrugged it off, there wasn't anything valuable back there anyways. Donna came back out and grunted as she sat on the back of the couch.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked but decided against making eye contact.

"Have you seen Jackie?" Donna sounded exasperated.

"Jackie's playing hide and seek, so you look in my room?" I raised and eyebrow at her.

"When's the last time you saw her?" Sam stood up.

"Last night."

"Oh." Same frowned at Donna. "Well, what about her parent's home? Did you check there?"

"That's the first place you would look, Sam." I rolled my eyes.

"Well, none of her stuff is in my room and the maid's said she hasn't been there." Donna moved over to the washer machine. She leaned against it as she seemed to stare of into space. "You don't think she skipped town, do you?"

I wasn't going to let Donna's worrying get to me. I could care less if Jackie left town, she should have been ashamed to show her face in Point Place anyways. I looked back to the t.v. I wasn't going to let Donna get to me, but I could help but let my mind wander, too. Jackie was eighteen, she could have been anywhere, doing anything, with anyone. There were plently of perverts in the world who would gladly have their way with her and and leave her for dead. My leg started to bounce the more I thought about some creep doing something to her.

"Did you call Brooke?" I muttered as Sam started talking about all the places Jackie could be.

"She said Jackie called." Donna groaned. "To wish her happy holidays."

"Maybe she went to Vegas." Sam suggested after some time.

"What?" I snapped. I didn't need to ask what she was thinking about because it would be just like Jackie to do something stupid like that. I shook my head. "Whatever. If she wasn't to screw herself over, let her do it."

Sam let another frown play her lips. I pushed her off when she tried sitting on my lap, I wasn't in the mood for her crap right now. Jackie was really starting to piss me off with her jealous bitching. She needed to get over the fact that I was married to Sam, she was screwing Kelso, if anyone had the right to be pissed, it was me. But I wasn't going to let any of this get to me. It would be nice to finally have some quiet time in the basement without Jackie's blabbing mouth.

Fez walked into the basement with Kelso and Randy, none of them looked like they were unaware of this Jackie mayhem.

"We've been to the mall, the salon, and everywhere else Jackie goes." Kelso took a seat on a lawn chair. "We've got a serious case of missing royalty."

"Self-proclaimed royalty." Randy added.

"Me and Donna can go check the mansion. Maybe the maid is lying." Sam went to get her coat.

"No, Sam." I called. "Let her be. If she wants to run away, that's her business."

Sam didn't listen, just like everyone else. Whatever. If they wanted to waste their time on the bitchy self-proclaimed royalty, then let them. But I's have the last laugh when they ended up screwed beyond their wildest dreams. Jackie was legal, barely, but she was legal and she could do whatever she damn well pleased. I wasn't here to baby sit her anymore. So I turned my attention back to the show and continued watching as the rest of them continued leaving the basement. Sam kissed my cheek before she headed out with Donna.

It's funny how thick people can be at times. There had been five people in the basement, all ith the intent on finding Jackie but none of them looked for something out of place. I threw a glance at the pink gift bag sitting on the record player. She came over last night before I headed to my 'bachelor party' and dropped it off. It was haunting me, I decided not to open it, I refused to except gifts from her, she didn't matter. But it taunted me as I looked at it, what could she possibly have to get after what has went down between us? I looked back a the screen, I wasn't going to open it.

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**_Last Night:_**

_"Hey." Jackie said coming into the basement with a gift bag in her hand._

_"Hey." I grunted, making sure to put the shades on._

_Jackie sat on the couch next to me and placed the bag in her lap. I glanced at her then at the bag. Didn't she know Donna was at home. Jackie stared straight ahead, off into space. I could have asked her what was wrong, but that would have insinuated that I gave a crap. But I couldn't stop looking at her. Jackie bit her bottom lip and let out a gasp that I hadn't been expecting, and, of course, the water works followed. She shoved the gift bag out of her lap and her torso collapsed on her legs. I shifted uncomfortably, did she want me to console her or something? Because I'm pretty sure that's on the top of the list that married guys don't do with their ex's. But she was wailing and that was one thing that broke me down, I couldn't stand the wailing. _

_"Come on, Jackie. I'm sure whatever happened can be fixed." _

_"Oh, yeah." She gasped sardonically. _

_I rolled my eyes as I rubbed her back, I had a feeling she knew exactly what she as doing. I hadn't paid much attention to her when she came in but my eyes settled on the suitcase by the basement door._

_"Are you going somewhere?" I couldn't help it. _

_Jackie lifted her head up and tried her best to wipe the rolling waterfall away, "What?" She must have forgot that she lugged a twenty pound suitcase down here._

_"Are you going somewhere?" I nodded to the suitcase. _

_Jackie looked over her shoulder, "Oh." She looked back at me. "I'm just moving out of Donna's." _

_"Why?" _

_Jackie laughed. "Why do you care?" _

_"You're eighteen, Jackie. Where can you possibly go?"_

_"I'm sure someone will take me in." _

_"I doubt it." _

_"The Foreman's took you in." _

_"Because of Foreman."_

_"Whatever." Jackie shook her head. "I just want to clear my head." Jackie looked around the room then gave me the pink bag before standing up. "It's for you. Sam's a bimbo, and a stripper." I didn't interrupt her, she wasn't attacking Sam, she was stating something, or requesting. "But I think she cares about you." Jackie rolled her eyes. "And maybe if you put some time into the relationship, you could give her a clean slate." _

_"What are you talking about?" I stood up too as she put her coat on, staring down at the ground. "Jackie."_

_"I told you." She muttered. "I'm going to clear my head."_

_"Jackie." I grabbed her arm. _

_Jackie looked up at me, her eyes were full of tears but she looked determined to keep them from spilling. I let her arm go. Jackie put her hand on my cheek and kept it there for a while. I stared at her, what was she up to? She kissed my cheek, took her luggage, and left. I stood frozen to the ground. I could have gone out after her, to see what the hell she was talking about, but that would have showed her that I still had feelings for her, and I sure as hell wasn't going to let her win this battle._

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I could have told them about my meeting with Jackie, but that wouldn't have been any fun. But it was bugging me that I had no clue where she was going. She had money, she could have been anywhere in the damn world. I walked over to the gift bag and peeked inside of it. There was frilly crap but it was easy to tell the bag had more to it than that. Curiosity got the best of me. I took the pink bag and sat in my chair with it. Gift number one was my Led Zeppelin shirt that I had given to her for her birthday. I held it out in front of me, I could smell her on it, but I didn't want to smell her in it, I wanted to see her in it. Number two was the book I got her, just for a present, it was all about government conspiracies, I'd written in the margins so she could follow along, and they had little romantic things that she use to like. I flipped through the pages, she'd written me back. I grinned, I didn't expect her to read it, I figured she had lied to me. The bottom of the bag was littered with photographs. And tapped to the bottom was a ring. It was small, but the rock was bigger than Donna's had been. I could have sworn I lost it but apparently not.

I took the ring out of the bottom and held it up. That sneaky bitch. I thought for sure I had hidden this where no one could find it. It was a cheap ring, but it was what she wanted. The inscription wasn't all great, not something she would dream about, but I thought it summed us up. 'Hello Sunshine' was scrawled on the white gold band. Jackie had tied a not to it, too.

_You're like the sunshine you brighten my day  
With everything you do and all that you say  
I'm like the moon so dark and cold,  
Without you in my arms to hold._

_Like the sun and the moon we're so far apart  
But you're always with me here in my heart  
When I see you, I glow when you shine on me  
Like the sun on the moon across mountain and sea._

_But when we're together and I kiss your lips  
It's so wonderfully special like a total eclipse  
As we drift apart slowly on me, your light glows  
Like the space between us my love for you grows._

The note started trembling in my hand. I should have opened it when she was here, maybe I could have talked her out of whatever she was doing.

"None of her clothes are at her place." Sam said when her and Donna came back with Kelso and Fez.

"She went and saw her dad, though." Kelso grabbed a popsicle out of the freezer.

Fez crossed his arms over his chest. "She didn't tell him, but we got him to track her credit card history."

"Where'd she go?" I asked. Sam looked at me, I had my shades on though, I was invincible.

"She bought a plane ticket."

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"Let's go to the movies." Sam begged as Donna and Randy got ready to leave to catch a flick.

"No." I muttered.

It was June 20th, six months after Jackie took off for Germany. No one had heard from her, apparently she was only talking to Foreman. He sent us letters, asking what we did to make her run away. But other than that, she might as well have been dead. Foreman had once said that she was making money, had a house, and a boyfriend, but that was like two months ago. And Jackie goes through boys like people go through underwear. The latest letter said that he was coming home in a week and he had a specially surprise from Africa. I grinned at the thought of that brown paper bag I gave him, it'd be full to the top. Foreman was a good friend.

"Hyde." Sam demanded.

"Go by yourself." I flipped the page in the book.

"But I won't to go with you." Sam grabbed my hand.

I yanked it away, "I'm reading."

Same stood there with her hands on her hips. Finally she gave up, "Fine. You guys have fun, I'm going to the mall."

I waited till they were all gone. I had read the book over and over again, just so I could read the writing in the margins. Her hand writing seemed to fade every time I read it, but I couldn't put it down, I needed it. I got to the middle of the book, my personal favorite quote as in the margin of the right page.

_O,swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,  
That monthly changes in his circled orb,  
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable._

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**Thank you Trina Quinn and Shakespeare. So what did you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks, you guys are awesome. I'm glad you liked it:] And I hope this one is to your liking as well. **

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"Samantha, honey, will you please go get me a glass of wine?" Mrs. Foreman practically begged Sam as the little woman pranced around the living room, fluffing the pillows, straightening the cushions, as if Foreman cared what the house looked like. He had been in Africa for over a school year, he had probably been living in a damn hut. This place would be a five star hotel compared to whatever they had over there. Whatever, it didn't matter. The real matter at hand was that Foreman as an hour away and that meant I was an hour away from having the greatest damn time.

"Sure." Sam complied.

"Where's Red at?" Donna asked while she sipped on a coke.

Mrs. Foreman waved her hand airily, "He needed to run some errands."

Sam came back into the room with a Bloody Mary in her hands, it was in a tall, wide glass, just the way Mrs. Foreman liked it. She took the glass thankfully and nearly drained half of it right there. Sam looked at the older woman with concern but shook it off when Fez and Brooke walked through the front door. Mrs. Foreman shoved her glass into Sam's handa again and now she rounded on Brooke. Foreman made it clear in one of his letters that he wanted Kelso, and only Kelso, to pick him up at the airport. Everyone found it strange at first but then when we remembered that he was bringing the 'surprise' home, we figured he didn't want Kelso reporting us for the illegal use of nature.

"Honestly, Mrs. Foreman." Brooke's eyes were wide as Mrs. Foreman shook her shoulders. "Michael said Eric called and said that they were less than a half an hour away."

"My baby's coming home!" Mrs. Foreman shrieked in her oh so giddy voice. She hurried out of the room, probably to find Red.

"Did he say anything about what he's bringing home?" I asked as Sam sat on my lap.

Brooke shook her head as Fez took their coats, an action Jackie would have made known about foreigners. "Just that everyone would know when he got there."

"Man," I sneered. "Knowing Foreman, he'll get the worst damn kind."

Donna and Fez briefly filled Sam in on details about Foreman as the clock came closer and closer to seven thirty. Donna told her about how Foreman often references Star Wars, and that Sam should ignore his useless words of Skywalker wisdom, or whoever had the wisdom. Fez told her about the dirty magazines, something not really needed to know, but at least we could burn him with it later. Brooke piped in and commented about his twitchiness, Sam gave a look of cluelessness. I didn't get why Donna hadn't told Sam about Foreman earlier on, I mean, the two of them were practically best friends. Sam took in all their information and classified Foreman as a skinny, twitchy, nerd who had a sick obsession with Star Wars, I nodded, that pretty much summed Foreman up.

With a few minutes to spare, Mrs. Foreman was dragging Red into the living room. He looked like Mrs. Foreman had to pull what was left of his hair to get him to come, but he was holding a small box in his hands. It was poorly wrapped, in newspaper, but like people say, it's the thought that counts. Mrs. Foreman sat bouncing in her seat as Kelso's rackety engine could be heard pulling into the driveway. Mrs. Foreman and I got up from our seated positions and moved closer to the door. I wasn't about to admit it to any of these clowns, but I guess I really missed Foreman. He was like the brother I never had, never wanted, but was stuck with. He was cool, in his own strange way. And for that, I missed him. Besides, with Foreman gone, there was no one to tease about.

"Hello good citizens and stripper." Kelso bowed to us after busting the door open.

"Dumbass." Red rolled his eyes. Sam gave a look that could have given Jackie's looks a run for their money.

"I bring to you, all the way from Africa, someone who left a boy," Kelso didn't even get the chance to finish his pointless speech before Mrs. Foreman was calling out for her baby.

Mrs. Foreman let out a cry that startled the whole room as the skinniest man in Point Place slipped into the living room. I saw Donna grab Sam's arm from the corner of my eyes, I bet she really regretted screwing around with pretty boy now. Even Red was smiling at his son. Foreman's skin was healthier than when he left, it even had a sort of Pam Burkhart glow to it. He was even carrying his own luggage, which he dropped when Mrs. Foreman threw herself in his arms. Foreman even looked a little bit tone, he wasn't as skinny as he was when he left. I though for sure he would have been skin and bones when he came back, or least he would have come home with a bone or something through his nose. He obviously didn't though, so I guessed that must have been a left over Jackie idea that was still lingering in my mind.

Foreman finally got his mother off of him and then Fez took her place. We needed a crow bar to pry Fez off of him, too. I sunk a glance at Sam, she sat politely, like I had told her to. As Foreman and I did our manly embrace I felt him drop something into the pocket of my blazer. I grinned widely.

"Good to have you back, man." I slapped his back.

"I figured." He laughed. His voice was still squeaky.

Rounds were done but Mrs. Foreman and Donna were still hanging on to every word Foreman said. We introduced him and Sam, Foreman was just as glad as everyone else to learn that Sam was a stripper. I was going to have to start charging people a dollar just to look at her, she'd make me filthy stinking rich. I'd have all the money I needed for a lifetime supply of joints.

"Call us if you need anything baby." After dinner Mrs. Foreman kissed Foreman's forehead after Red told us that they were going over to Bob and Midge's. He bribbed Mrs. Foreman with Cosmo.

"So what's the surprise, Eric." Fez whispered once the back door slid shut.

"No, Fez, I think the more important question is where did you get it?" Keslo grinned. Foreman shot him a look.

"Amsterdam, man." He looked around at us. "Straight from Amsterdam."

"Is it any good?" I asked him. Who care where it came from, all that matter was if it was good or not.

"Well, I guess you can say it speaks for itself." Foreman started getting all twitchy, Brooke was kind enough to point that out. "Actually, I brought something else back from Amsterdam, it was sort of a package deal." His voice jumped.

"That's great, man."

Foreman looked at me and nodded, "Yeah, Hyde, so, uhm, do me a favor and hold onto that thought."

"What are you talking about Eric?" Donna spoke up. She'd barely said a word all dinner, Sam talked too Foreman more than she had. It was that doing it with Randy, I knew he had it written all over her face.

"Well," Foreman squeaked and let out a cough.

Three feet of color streaked past Sam and I and pounced onto Foreman's lap. Her smile was innocent and showed her small baby teeth. The little girl looked at us bashfully and buried her head into Foreman's lap. This must have been real hard for Sam to comprehend because none of us saw this coming, we couldn't put it into dialect she understood. All I knew was that Foreman had a little girl, cute as a button, treating him like he was her father. Foreman stroked the girl's hair and looked around at us, whether he was looking for approval or not I wasn't sure. Hell, I didn't even know what to say. I knew she wasn't Foreman's. She was too well kept to be his. But everything about the girl's presence was strangely similar, and within the next six seconds the room found out why.

Keslo beamed at the sight that came through the swinging door, Fez shrieked a skriek that was highly reminiscent of Mrs. Foreman, and Brooke gasped. Donna and Sam sat looking like they were watching a ghost appear right before their very eyes. The ring in my pocket always felt heavy, I carried it around with me, all day and everyday, but it reached an all time heavy weight as I stared, in disgut or amazement, at the sight in front of me. It was like she stepped out of a dream, a strange dream that actually came frequently but a dream nonetheless. She was shining, like she always did, but she was new, a reborn sun. Her smile was contagious, because over half the people in the room couldn't help but return her look, her hair cascaded past her shoulders and still held the same curls I fell for. But no matter what she looked like, no matter how much her appearance stayed the same, she had changed, she changed more than any of us.

"Gruss dich!" Jackie's smile widened.

No one said anything to her. We all just stared, most of us still smiling, at her, as if we were afraid to say something, just in case she really was a dream. Foreman was one of the unsmiling ones, instead his eyes were set on me and Sam. I had to break the silence, but I couldn't think of anything to say. What was I supposed to say? No burn could come to me. Damn Jackie.

"She's the surprise?" I finally asked. It came out more rudely than intended.

"Well, yeah." Foreman said.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Jackie hissed.

Sam opened and shut her mouth, most likely at a loss for words. I guess I couldn't blame her though. She watched the little girl slink away from Foreman and to Jackie. Jackie picked her up, with strength that no one would have guessed coming from Jackie, and held her close. The little girl buried her face in Jackie's neck now, I didn't know what she ws worried about, we were just as afraid of her as she was of us. And I meant that with the most sincerity.

"Welcome home." Sam said. I was so wrapped up I hadn't even noticed her new position, over by the steps.

Jackie's eyes flickered over to her, I thought for sure Jackie was going to rip her to shreds, but instead, "Thank you, Samantha." Foreman's homecoming had been momentarily forgotten.

"What are you doing back?" I asked as Jackie passed me to stand opposite from Sam.

"Why did you leave?" Donna scooted up in her seat.

Jackie stared at me, "I just needed to clear my head." My shades were attached to my shirt so at the moment, I was completely vulnerable to her. Luckily, she turned her gaze to the people she use to call friends. "And I did. I lived in Florence for a few weeks, then Paris, I was in Austria up until two and a half months ago when I met Timo and moved to Berlin." She whispered the last part. I noticed the girl fidget in Jackie's arms. "Him and I settled down for a bit and then some things happened and I ended up in Amsterdam. That's when I ran into Eric." Jackie kissed the little girl's head.

"So you stole some poor guy's kid. Great Jackie." I sneered. "Did you clean his bank out too?"

"Hyde." Sam snapped.

"Libbey is an orphan. Jackie and her found each other." Foreman told us.

Kelso cackled, "Jackie traded one ugly orphan in for a cute one. BURN!"

Brooke rolled her eyes, "I think it's very sweet of you, Jackie. Libbey is very lucky to have you."

The little girl, Libbey, lifted her head out of Jackie's neck and rested it on her shoulder, gazing around the room. I put my shades on, if anyone was going to shake me down, it was going to be the little girl in Jackie's arms. The two of them looked too perfect to be here in one of the tackiest rooms in Point Place. Maybe God made a mistake when he put them in here. He must have made an accidental mark with a pen on the parchment as he plotted out their life together. Both of them were angelic-looking, even if Jackie did have some demonic streak through her, she was an angel, she was sunshine.

"She's really pretty, Jackie." Sam spoke up again. I wondered what Donna's problem was, because so far, Sam was talking to Jackie more than Donna was. And I was sure Jackie hated Sam.

There was more small talk about Jackie staying in Europe. We learned that she made a living by doing some petty work for a modeling agency in every city she stayed in, except she worked as a publisher's assistant in Berlin and as someones fashion consultant while she was in Amsterdam. She never did anything that meant she had to be away from Libbey for too long. She turned down a modeling jig because she would have to leave Libbey behind. I wasn't going to lie, it surprised me how much Jackie had grown up in a few months. She failed to mention to us about this mysterious Timo jerk, but whenever I brought him up, Foreman shot me a very Jackie look.

We also found out that Libbey was only four and a half, and she spoke little English, she knew German, but not to the point where we could hold a whole conversation with her. Not that we'd be conversing much with a four year old. Jackie said that she was walking home from work, when she lived in Austria, and she heard someone call out for their mom. She didn't think anything of it at first, but when she came out of a coffee shop and the crying was still going on, she decided to go find out what was going on. Apparently Libbey shut up when Jackie found her. And they were living happily ever after now.

"Sam will you go to the store and get me a beer?" I asked, nicely.

"Alright." She said softly.

"You're going to let him boss you around like that?" Jackie stopped Sam.

Sam shrugged her shoulders, "I want to make him happy." And with that she left.

I grinned up at the brat and her angel. "You were right, she cares a lot about me."

Jackie gave me a good knock in the shin, a move expected but not anticipated. Kelso and Fez fell into a fit of laughter as Jackie turned away and plopped down on the piano bench with Foreman. Libbey sat on her lap, still taking in everyone's faces and voices. She seemed to especially like Kelso, Jackie should have been thrilled.

"So are you to," Donna forced the next part out, "Dating now?"

"Ew." Jackie stuck her tongue out as her face distorted into pure disgust. "No."

"I have no desire to date the devil." Foreman grinned at Jackie, whose face relaxed and grinned back.

I let the rest of them ask Foreman about his time in Amsterdam, I continued to watch Libbey with occasional glances at Jackie. Libbey would grin bashfully every time her eyes wandered past me, as if she knew I was staring at her from under my shades. When Jackie and I were going out, I use to think that her and I looked good together. But as I watched her and her new pride and joy, I knew that whatever I thought I had with her, well, it was nothing compared to the two of them. They looked like they were made for each other, in some weird way, they needed each other.

"I taught Libbey a poem." Jackie clapped and patted Libbey's arms. "Tell them the poem."

Libbey's eyes grew wide and she shook her head.

"Oh, come on puddin'." She pouted. Donna snorted at Libbey's nickname. I glared at the two of them. "Remember what I said on the plane?" Libbey nodded. "I'll buy you an ice cream cone." Jackie smiled when Libbey did.

Libbey stuck close to Jackie's leg as she spoke in her frail voice.

"The new moon, of no importance  
lingers behind as the yellow sun glares  
and is gone beyond the sea's edge."

Libbey's face was back in Foreman's lap the second she finished her poem. I crossed my arms over my chest as everyone clapped, I stared at Jackie.

"You are so full of crap, Jackie." I snapped, I stood up. "Whatever you have against me and Sam needs to be gotten over because she's not going anywhere!"

Jackie's jaw dropped and she popped out of her seat. Brooke grabbed Libbey's hand and lead her out of the room, the little girl tried holding onto Jackie's hand but Jackie had them balled in fists.

"What do I have against you?" Jackie raised her eyebrows. "I don't know? What could I possibly have against you?"

"Cut the crap, Jackie. That was over two months ago, don't you think it's time to give up?"

"I'm not fighting for you, _Hyde. _I'm done with you. I could care less what you do. I'm finished pouring my life out for you. That little girl," Jackie pointed at Libbey who refused to leave the room as Brooke tried ushering her upstairs. "That little girl is my life now. She's the only one I want to fight for."

I snorted, "Whatever."

Jackie lowered her arms with a frown, "That's what I figured. Come on, Libs." Jackie held out her arms out for the little girl. And once again Libbey was in Jackie's arms, clinging for dear life. Sam was standing with a bottle of beer in her hands. Jackie froze for a moment but then snatched the bottle from Sam's grasp and pitched it away from them. We heard the sound of broken glass on the pavement, Sam stared bewildered. "He's there to make you happy, not the other way around."

"Way to go, jackass." Foreman hissed when the door slammed shut.

Fez nodded his head, "Welcome home, Eric."

"Don't touch me." I grunted as Sam started to cuddle later that night. I felt her turn on her other side and shrink away from me. I should have felt bad, but I didn't, I was too busy reading the latest writing on my dresser.

_The half moon shows a face of plaintive sweetness  
Ready and poised to wax or wane;  
A fire of pale desire in incompleteness,  
Tending to pleasure or to pain:-  
Lo, while we gaze she rolleth on in fleetness  
To perfect loss or perfect gain.  
Half bitterness we know, we know half sweetness;  
This world is all on wax, on wane:  
When shall completeness round time's incompleteness,  
Fulfilling joy, fulfilling pain?-  
Lo, while we ask, life rolleth on in fleetness  
To finished loss or finished gain._

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**Thank you D.H Lawrence and Christina Rossetti for the poems. Jackie's first line in this chapter means hello, but my computer doesn't type in German, so I had to replace some lettering.**


	3. Chapter 3

**So I was watching a recording we had of the show and i realized that I have the dates wrong. I've been saying it's six months later, well it's not, because I think that the whole thing with Hyde going to Vegas happened in September maybe. So I got to say that this setting is now about nine months after Jackie leaves. Sorry about the mix up, my fault.**

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Jackie and her new toy hadn't shown their faces around me for a week. They'd been over to see Mrs. Foreman and Red, I was in the basement with Donna when the rest of them raved about Libbey. Red seemed to like her more than any of the other kids that have went through the Foreman home. But Red always had a soft spot for the girls. I heard Jackie ask where Donna and I were but that was it. Once Libbey had wandered downstairs and played around with the junk on the table for a while, but she scrammed when Sam came into the basement. She had given me a quick grin before she made the junk toys, but she chose to ignore me otherwise. I wondered what Jackie had told her about me, if she told her that I was the bad guy, the American Timo.

So you can imagine my surprise when Jackie cam prancing into the basement on July first just to make herself comfortable and watch t.v. I glanced at her from my book, immensly curious but not ready to let her know that. I flipped the page, hoping she wouldn't regonize the cover. Jackie slouched down in the couch and frowned at the Ingles as their theme song played on the audio. She was too prima dona, she wouldn't understand what it meant to be in times like that. Hell, Jackie couldn't even stand being around dirt for longer than an hour, she would've died in those days. But that wasn't important. I looked around the room first, just to make sure Kelso was burning me or something. It was strange, I mean, I didn't think this was Jackie's domain anymore.

"Where's Libbey?"

"With Mrs. Foreman. Frozen Yogurt."

"I haven't told Sam that I loved her." I said after reading one of Jackie's side margin notes.

"So?"

"So." I raised my eyebrows.

Jackie looked away from the screen and frowned, "I met what I said that night." She looked earnest. "I'm over you, I've moved on."

"That's cool." I muttered.

Jackie tilted her head. I knew it was a mistake, teaching her Zen, she could see right through me because of it.

"So what's the deal with Timo?" I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back in the seat more. Jackie pursed her lips and stared at me. "No, really, I'm interested. What was his deal? One night stand gone wrong? Love of your life?"

"I don't think that's any of your business, Hyde." Jackie whispered.

"Did he beat you?" I started growing on the defensive.

"No." Jackie gasped. "God no. It was a mistake, okay? That's it."

"It?"

"What? No, I meant he was a mistake. Him." Jackie was up and pacing around the basement, touching things she passed, and fidgeting around with other things. Finally she sat on the arm of the couch, farthest away from me. "I lived with these fat people who worshipped Zeppelin, when I was in Austria." She said.

"No way." That wasn't like Jackie.

Her features lit up as she nodded and a smile crossed her face, "Yeah. They ate like seven meals a day, it was insane. And they were so poor that the food they brought home was all stale and gross. And I ate it!"

"Did you eat it?" I had to admit, I was pretty grossed out, especially when Jackie nodded. "That's not right, man. What about Libbey?"

"Well, no." Jackie gave me a disgusted look. "I would never feed my kid bad food. I bought her something every time we went out."

Jackie and I didn't say anything for a while. We sat where we were casting occasional glances to one another, but other than that we watched the screen. Libbey came skipping down the basement steps and stopped when she reached the lawn chair, her trademark bashful grin played on her face. I grinned back at her as Jackie continued to watch the screen. Libbey crawled onto the couch and sat between Jackie's legs. Jackie kissed the girls head and went back to the program. I felt Libbey's green eyes on me as I tried to focus on the show, but when you had an angel staring straight into your soul, it was sort of impossible to focus on anything else.

"How do you like your new home, Libbey?" I asked, speaking slowly that normal.

Jackie looked over at me and then down at Libbey. Libbey shared Jackie's gaze before Jackie translated it for her.

"Sehr gut." Libbey flashed her baby teeth. "Es ist groß." She added and then muttered something to Jackie.

"She likes it, it's big." Jackie ran her fingers through Libbey's hair. "And she wants to know if you're coming to the Foreman's fourth of July party tomorrow."

"Are you?" I asked Libbey. She nodded wildly. "If you want me to." I grinned at the little girl. Libbey sat quietly for a minute, I figured she was trying to piece the words together like Fez used to do.

"Kommst du?" She said in her frail little voice.

"I'll come." I agreed.

I asked Libbey if she had her own room, of course Jackie had to translate it. Libbey shook her head and Jackie further explained it. Jackie's mom didn't know that Libbey was staying with Jackie, actually Pam didn't know Jackie had brought Libbey with her at all. I asked how she planned on hiding it further.

"I bought an apartment." Jackie smiled. "Fez got me a good deal with his land lord. We move in in a few days."

"Oh." I twitched my nose. "Well, maybe me and Randy could help you move in."

"How uncharacteristic of you." Jackie grinned teasingly.

Foreman came by a little while after with Sam, not together, but Sam was just coming home from a long day at work and Foreman was coming to pick up Jackie and Libbey. Sam eyed us suspiciously as she watched Libbey leave a kiss good bye on my cheek and Jackie thank me for the offer. Jackie said good bye to Sam and Sam returned it with one of her bitchy grins, grins that I had become quite acquainted with over the past few months. Even Foreman raised his eyebrows at the scene when he walked in, but his hormones didn't kick into overdrive when he saw that Jackie and I were alone.

Sam and I watched as Jackie and Foreman lead Libbey out of the basement. Just as Sam opened her mouth to say something to the departing trio, Libbey broke away from them and hurried over to me. She stood at the side of my chair and whispered something that I would only understand if I had lived in Germany my entire life.

She cupped her hands and whispered into my ear, "Wenn Sie youd Liebe damit vollständig versprochen haben, Und Sie haben gesagt, dass Sie immer wahr wären, Sie haben  
geschworen, dass Sie nie mich, Baby verlassen würden: Was ist je zu Ihnen geschehen?" Libbey smiled when she pulled away and rushed to Jackie as she called out for her. Sam stared at the two of them in the most disgusted way, I had a feeling work didn't go so good.

"What did she say to you?" Sam barked when the door shut.

"The only English Libbey knows is the stuff Jackie teaches her. So that's probably all make-up and unicorn crap." Sam cocked her head. "I don't know what she said, Sam." I snapped.

"Fine, whatever you say." The blond rolled her eyes and took a piece of paper out of her jeans. Sam sat down on the couch and read over the paper before handing it to me. "I found it in my box at work today. Maggie says someone came in last night and dropped it off when I left." Sam pouted at the thought. I unfolded the think paper than smelt almost flowery in some way.

-The mind of the Sun smiles from the centre  
The mind of the Moon beams from the corner: they seek  
Body to put on the Beam Bang to ensure a universality…  
Moon says to Sun "you are hot" And Sun says  
To Moon "you are cool".-

"You're pissed off because someone leaves a poem in your box? Get a grip Sam." I snorted. Jackie had yet again left her mark.

"That is a love poem, Hyde! I know that poem!" Sam threw her purse. "Is it Jackie? Are you fooling around with her again?"

"No! And if that was a love poem for me, wouldn't I have gotten it?"

Sam thought it through for a moment, "It's a threat." She decided. "They're trying to theaten me."

"Stop being stupid, Sam." I sneered.

"Oh? Is that what I'm being? Stupid?" I shrugged. "I hope you enjoy the couch!" She shrieked and disappeared into the bedroom.

"Maybe I'll just go sleep at Jackie's place. Because apparently I'm fooling around with her, right Samantha!?" I called over my shoulder.

A few things in the bedroom were thrown but finally Sam marched out of the room, holding her pillow and a change of clothes. "I'm going over to Donna's."

Kelso, Foreman, Fez, and I sat on the park bench, sipping on beers while Mrs. Foreman, Donna, and Sam set up the food. Red and Bob were walking around the meadow draining their own beers and talking about God knows what. Midge was over in the middle of the meadow with Jackie and Libbey. The two of them were playing in the flowers.

I kept the shades on as I watched the two girls dressed in white dresses twirl about in the flowers. Jackie would spin herself round and round in a circle and then Libbey would do the same thing until Libbey was a giggling mess on the ground with Jackie. Libbey had come over to us earlier and put a flower in each of our hair, Sam watched jealously of course. But that was the only time Libbey left Jackie. At the moment Jackie was playing possum and Libbey was on top of her, tapping her face, shaking her shoulders, all in attempt to bring Jackie out of her false slumber. Then Jackie would pop and grab the giggling girl. Foreman chuckled which caused the rest of the moron at the table to look over and watch the spectacular duo.

"Isn't it a little too cold to be wearing a dress?" Sam muttered as she brought me another beer.

"Isn't it a little to cold to be wearing almost nothing?" I retorted.

"BURN!" Kelso gasped. Sam glared at Kelso.

Sam went back over with the girls and I went back to watching Libbey and Jackie. Libbey was now entwining flowers into Jackie's hair to the best of her ability. The flowers would hold for a moment then fall out of the long locks. When Libbey finally gave up on the flowering she went back to spinning with her arms wide open. She cried for Jackie to do it too. Jackie laughed at Libbey as the little girl tried to stand straight and reach for Jackie after a series of continuous turns. The two started up again, together, as Red and Bob passed them, I could have sworn I saw Red smile as he passed the dancing divas.

Once Sam had left last night I went up and asked Red if he had any German dictionaries, he didn't. And I had been meaning to get to the library to find out something that could help me decode Libbey's message, but Mrs. Foreman had everyone get ready early. The good news was that I had gotten ahold of Brooke and she said that she was going to see what she could bring from the Library. But she wasn't coming for another hour and I wasn't sure how long I could keep replaying what she said in my head. Maybe if I as lucky she would repeat it later.

Red and Bob took a seat at the table, "That girl's got a thing for the orphans." Red smirked.

"Haha, good one, Red." I grunted.

"At least this one is cute." Bob added and him and Red cackled.

The girls joined us when had finished mixing up the salad. Jackie, Midge, and Libbey were still out in the meadow. Sam glared at Jackie and Libbey with vendetta, I patted her leg to distract her. She grinned at me and took a bite of her salad. Midge was the first one to join us, Jackie and Libbey were trailing along. Libbey had ahold of Jackie's hand and would point to different things, which Jackie would probably explain to her. It took them five minutes to join us. Libbey was smiling,her baby teeth sparkling just as Jackie's were known to do.

"Are you hungry,Libbey Lou?" Mrs. Foreman asked the little girl who squeezed in between me and Sam.

"Ja." Libbey nodded.

"So, Samantha." Jackie said as she put a few pieces lettuce on her plate. I noticed that Libbey watched Jackie and asked Mrs. Foreman for the same thing. "I was going through my closet at home and I noticed that there were some shoes and purses and coats that I don't wear anymore, and I was thinking maybe you could have them. I've only worn them once or twice so they'd be like brand new."

Sam looked at me and then to Jackie, "That's very nice of you, Jackie. It's nice to get new things," She glanced at me. "Once in a while."

"And you were worried things would be awkward between them," Donna said to me teasingly.

I took a swig of beer.

Libbey nibbled on anything that Jackie nibbled on. If Jackie ate a piece of cheese, Libbey at a piece of cheese. If Jackie drained a glass of water, Libbey drained a glass of water. She was like the doll that Jackie always wanted, I'm sure if Jackie jumped off a cliff, Libbey wouldn't be far behind her. And I wasn't entirely sure Jackie knew how much she meant to the little girl. It wasn't like a mother-daughter relationship, Libbey looked up to Jackie far beyond that, it was like Libbey wanted to be Jackie, or more like aspired to walk in her foot steps.

"Have you guys seen my stash?" Foreman asked the next day as he bound down the basement steps.

Libbey was sitting between Jackie's legs as Jackie brushed her hair. Sam was at work with Donna, I guess they were going out to lunch today. So it was just me, Fez, Libbey, and Jackie hanging out in the basement. Foreman had hidden his stash in the spiderman lunchbox this time. But I didn't steal it, I didn't need the money with Grooves being so prosperous at the time. Jackie shrugged her shoulders and said she just got her. Fez hadn't moved from the lawn chair with his candy bars in hand.

"I just put fifty bucks in there and now it's gone." Foremn whined.

"How are Sam's tips going?" Jackie asked.

"I don't know." I grunted.

"I want to go to park." Libbey said softly up at Jackie.

"I don't have a car, baby." Jackie turned Libbey's head back to the way it had been.

"Well, I can take you guys." I twitched my nose when Foreman looked over.

"Really?" Libbey gasped.

"Yeah, I'm not doing anything."

"What about Sam?" Foreman squeaked.

"Sam doesn't control me."

Libbey was on her feet, bouncing around. She grabbed Jackie's hand and started attempting to drag her. Jackie was giggling and Fez smiled widely at the sight. It was probably because of the tight little outfit Jackie was wearing becuase if Fez and Foreman weren't in the room, I would have been doing more than smiling. I avoided eye contact with Foreman as I went into my room to get my wallet. Jackie and Libbey were already at the door when I came back out. Foreman nudged my arm and gave me a warning like glare as I opened the door for the two ladies.

"How did you find out where Sam worked?" I asked Jackie as we watched Libbey slide down the slide.

Jackie's cheeks flushed and she looked down at the ground, "She got my note?"

"She doesn't know its you, she thinks it's you though."

"You didn't tell her it was me?"

"Why would I?"

"Well, I thought married people tell each other everything." Jackie shrugged and looked at Libbey.

"Sam's different." I muttered. "She's no ray of Sunshine."

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**You all have been simply amazing with the reviews, so please keep them coming, I appreciate them all. Next chapter you'll find out what Libbey said to Hyde.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I have a surprise for you guys in the next chapter. I have to tell you guys this straight out because I don't think I'll get it out, but Jackie is lying to Hyde, she still wants him and the notes are her way of fighting, kind of like she's attempting to make Sam self conscious. But don't worry, Sam has something up her sleeve. Oh, my muse for Libbey is Larissa Vouloukos.**

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"Why are we even here?" Randy asked as we followed Libbey up the apartment complex steps. We were hauling huge boxes and Libbey was carrying her teddy that I thought she would like. I wasn't wrapped her around finger, it was cheap and I guess she could think of it as house warming gift.

When we walked in Jackie was in her living room, flirting with some guy who must have lived in the complex. A wave of jealousy washed over me, but there wasn't a thing I could do about it. Jackie was giving off some real confusing signals. Did she still want me, or was she just screwing with Sam's mind? She introduced the man to Libbey, he was Adam and he lived across the hall, he brought over some pudding. I rolled my eyes, what a fruitcake. Randy and I accidentally knocked into him on our way to the dining room. The fool didn't think anything of it, he even said he was sorry for standing in the way.

"Do you speak German, man?" I asked Randy. Brooke never brought the dictionary.

Randy shrugged, "Kind of. But it's not something people generally know, Hyde."

I recited Libbey's little line to him. Randy raised his eyebrows.

"What? Is it bad?"

"Well, it's not something a four year old would tell a twenty year old."

"What does it mean?"

"Well, I don't know all of it, but I think the general idea is that you promised love and truth and never leaving." Randy ran his hands through his fingers. "And I guess something happened to you."

That didn't help me at all, I needed to be told straight what Libbey said. There was no doubt in my mind Jackie taught it to her, but I want to know, need to know what those words were. Randy asked me why it was so important, I lied and told him Sam learned to say it from some client she had yesterday. He snorted and told me that he didn't know strippers could be so deep.

It didn't take too long for us to set up Jackie's new apartment, on account of her not bringing much to begin with. I couldn't help but notice how much Jackie had changed from last year before she left. She really had matured, but she was obviously still the object of male affection. Adam had left for a few minutes only to bring Jackie an ABBA record he had and she must have wanted. The idiot gave it to her and said she should think of it as a housewarming gift. It made my teddy bear for Libbey look like something pathetic and not completely worth it.

Randy and I sat in the living room while Jackie and her new buddy were setting up her kitchen. Libbey sat on my lap, playing with her teddy bear. We were listening to the ABBA record that Adam was kind enough to let Jackie have, I was ready to throw it out the damn window. But I refrained from doing so for the sake of the little girl on my lap. I was well aware of Randy's watchful eyes but I could really care less, I felt at ease with Libbey, us orphans had to stick together.

"So are you and Sam thinking about having one of your own?"

"No." I answered maybe a little too quickly but whatever.

"You don't want baby?" Libbey frowned up at me.

"If I have my own, then I can't take you to the park." I said slowly.

"Oh." Her frown turned into a mesmerizing smile.

"Yeah." Jackie said as she followed Adam out of the kitchen. "I'll call you or something."

"Or you can just knock." Adam laughed.

"Ha!" Jackie gave a false laugh. "How about that." The second Adam was out the door, Jackie rolled her eyes.

"Trouble in paradise?" I snickered. Randy's eye lit up but he wouldn't mock Jackie.

"It's not paradise if he thinks he's prettier than me." Jackie snorted and plopped down next to me. "Turn that off, Randy, before I pitch it out the window." No ABBA now either? What went on in Europe?

"I think you're the prettier, Jaja." Libbey pouted.

"Awh, thank you, puddin'." Jackie pinched her chin.

"Hey, baby." Sam welcomed when I walked into the basement with Kelso to find Sam sitting on the couch with a cozy couple. "Reunited."

"Gross." Keslo sneered. "I was totally in line to do Big D next."

"You're married."

"So are you but that doesn't stop you from hanging all over Jackie." Sam looked over her shoulder at Kelso's words.

"Take a chill pill, Samantha. Nothing is going on between her and I. Kelso's a moron, that's all."

"Why doesn't she hang out here anyways?" Sam asked when I sat down and Foreman and Donna broke apart. "Is she too good for us or something?"

"She's too good for you." Foreman told her. I couldn't help but grin. "Unlike you, she makes a living doing something where she can keep her dignity." Kelso let us all know how good of a burn that was. Sam looked to Donna for help.

"Sam found out some stuff that proves that Jackie isn't as innocent as we think." Donna rolled her eyes. "But I said it before and I'll say it again, it's not that big of a deal, especially since it's been done before."

"It is so a big deal, Donna." Sam shook her head. "She needs to know that."

"What are you up to?" I asked her.

Sam did one of her sexy grins, one that I have not yet been able to resist. She leaned over and planted a soft kiss on my lips and let the grin get even more wicked. But everything faded when a high pitched call came from the top of the basement steps. Sam's grin faded but mine stayed in place. I was coming to love that high pitched little voice, and yes, I meant love.

"Hyde!" Libbey skipped over to me and took her spot on my lap. "Hallo." She said to the others.

"How are you Libbey Lou?" Kelso had adopted Mrs. Foreman's nick name for the little girl in my lap. Kelso dumb smile was as wide as Libbey's was, but Libbey's smile was cute, Kelso's was just strange.

"Gut."

"What are you doing here?" Even Sam couldn't stay mad when Libbey was in the room.

"Brooke and Jackie are malling for Betsy."

Sam giggled at Libbey's lack of English, it was pretty cute.

We sat around watching the television and listening to Libbey mumble songs as she grew bored. I recognized some of the beats but I had no idea what verse she was singing. She was pretty good for a four year old and the room was well aware of that. Libbey kept the room in a tranquil state, I was thinking that it was about time that I started teaching her the art of Zen like I had taught Jackie. I was sure it would be simple, I didn't even have to teach her to be bad ass because that sort of vibrated off of her, after all, she had her Jaja to teach her to be that. But no one would be a brat to a little girl with a little brown teddy bear in her arms. Libbey continued mumbling her songs as time sank on.

'And if you promised to love so completely, and you said that you'd always be true. You swore that you'd never leave me, baby. What ever happened to you?' I played around with my lips as the familiar tune came out in a German tongue. There was no doubt that Jackie told her when to say that. Granted, it was getting to me, but it shouldn't have been, Jackie was over me and she was fighting for the little girl in my lap. But it bugged me, if Jackie was over me like she said, then what was with all the mind games? Was she trying to say that she wanted to me? Or was she rubbing what I did to her in mine and Sam's face. I was only one person, I wasn't capable of being everything that Jackie had wanted me to be, I could only be me and that was it.

But I had married Sam, married her after months and months of telling Jackie that marriage was never going to be me, always the groomsman never the groom. So I guess in someway I betrayed her, she believed in be, failed to give up on the dream that her and I would someday be Mr. and Mrs. together in harmony or something. So I did feel like a jerk in some way, I knew I could never tell that to someone, anyone, but it had to be admitted in someway or another. I just really hoped that Jackie wasn't too negative about me when she talked with Libbey.

"What time is Betsy's party tomorrow?" Sam asked after she took her shower. Foreman and Donna left for dinner and Jackie hadn't come back yet, so I sat slouching on the couch, with Libbey sleeping in my lap. "I need to do some errands before."

"Brooke wants everyone there at five." Kelso shrugged.

"Is Jackie coming?" Sam asked me.

I had no problem telling her, "Yeah. We're taking Libs, though. Jackie's got an interview with some modeling agency in Kenosha so she'll be there around five thirty."

"So are you two doing the friends thing, then?"

"I guess."

"That's good." Sam settled in my chair.

"Good?"

She inhaled and exhaled slowly, "I can't stop you from hanging out with her. Just as long as I know it's me who you come home to at night, I can live with the fact that she's attractive and you two have history. Just remember you're married to me."

I stared at Sam, was she high? What the hell was up with her and Jackie? First Jackie decides to give Sam half of her closet and now Sam is deciding that it's okay for me and Jackie to hang out? Does she know that Jackie was the first girl I was head over heels for? Did she know how easy it would be for me to leave her and go back to Jackie. And it didn't help her at all that the little girl asleep on me was somehow managing to break me down. My shades were my only defense.

"Thanks, baby." I whispered.

"No!" I called. "Libs! Run the other way."

Libbey held the ball like she held the teddy bear. She stared at me like I was the dumbest guy in the world, the dumbest guy who didn't know what tongue he was speaking in. Libbey was playing football with Bob, Kelso, and Fez against Red, Foreman, and her. I sat with the birthday girl as she giggled and watched the ball being thrown back and forth. "Was?" Libbey called back to me. Kelso came running past, scooping her up as he did.

"And score for Kelso!" Kelso shouted.

I was sure that the field was ready to die laughing when Libbey started yelling at Kelso in her native language. It was strange hearing such rude sounding words coming from an angel. But even as she yelled and grew red, she never lost her sense of beauty. Jackie must have taught her how to yell at people without growing too ugly. Donna and Mrs. Foreman laughed when Libbey was through and stomped her foot on the ground before marching away. Libbey shouted 'shit head' in German over her shoulder. That was probably one of the only German words I knew because Fez and Randy were looking up German words on the computer at the library.

"I don't like that." Libbey grunted and squeezed inbetween me and Donna. "Cheaters."

"She really is Jackie's girl." Donna teased.

"Jaja!" Libbey shrieked when she saw Jackie emerge from the trees. The little girl hopped off the bench and sprinted towards Jackie, then jumped into her arms. Jackie giggled and held Libbey close.

Donna took Libbey's place on the football team, Mrs. Foreman and Brooke to Betsy over to the swings, which gave me and Jackie a chance to talk. I started off by asking Jackie how the interview went. She applied to some agency when she first got back and heard from them three days later. Jackie said that she researched the agency and they were legit, so she wasn't too nervous about being screwed over when she went in. She said that the lady loved her and would call tomorrow if she wanted Jackie to work for her. Libbey told her that she thought Jackie would get the job. Jackie kissed her head and said that the lady loved the people she had worked for and gave her credit for putting up with one of them.

"I need to ask you something." I told her, handing my shades to Libbey. Libbey put the shades on and made Jackie giggle. "What are we doing? How do we stand?"

Jackie looked up from Libbey. "I, uhm," Jackie paused. "I don't know what you mean."

I was frusterated, for once I needed for people to butt out of my conversations. I needed for me and Jackie to be alone, for the two of us to talk. But Foreman, her new guard dog was at our side in a matter of seconds. He wanted me to move on from Jackie and give her freedom from the past, but I couldn't do that if I wasn't able to sit down and talk with her about everything. I glared at Foreman as he had Red start the grill now that Jackie was here. Libbey took her new spot in my lap as Jackie played with Betsy.

"Where's your hooker?" Jackie asked as everyone settled onto the bench.

"That's not very nice Jackie." Mrs. Foreman frowned.

"Truth always hurts, Mrs. Foreman." Jackie said sweetly.

Brooke and Foreman smiled and I rolled my eyes. Although, I really was curious where my sleazy wife was. But the question seemed to slip my mind as the conversation picked up at the table. Betsy laughed and gasped at different things people said, even if the action was uncalled for, it made the table laugh. Libbey, who still seemed a little heated from the football game, sat in my lap picking apart the bread of her hamburger, just like Jackie. I sneaked a cookie from Fez's plate and gave it to the girl before she starved herself because of Jackie. Libbey smiled and nibbled quickly on the cookie. No little kid and resist the sweetness of a cookie. Red told her about his days in the army, he did skip parts about him killing Germans, just in case she took offense to the term 'dirt germans'. Libbey didn't understand him but she smiled and nodded her head as if he was the most interesting storyteller in the world.

Foreman told a few jokes about girls her met in Amsterdam. Fez was the only one who truly took them in and decided that he no longer loved America, he wanted to be in Amsterdam where it was pot, prostitutes, and beer whenever he wanted. Libbey, once again, nodded and smiled even though she had no clue what was being said. And it didn't help that Fez was a mush mouth, so that probably doubled in her inability to understand.

"I want a puppy, Jaja." Libbey pouted as she watched a runner and her dog. "A puppy." She confirmed.

"Maybe when Opa gets out of jail." Jackie forked her fruit.

"Opa Jack?" Libbey asked.

Jackie nodded. "He'd love to get you a puppy."

"Would he get me one too?" Kelso asked. Brooke gave him a motherly look. "What?"

"Daddy doesn't like you, Michael." Jackie frowned.

"Why not?" He whined.

"Oh, I don't know." I threw out there. "Cheating on his daughter, abusing her pocket book, and doing it in his house might have something to do with it."

"Hey, dumb asses." Red snapped. "No sex talk at the table. The ladies don't need to hear about that."

"Too bad Sam isn't here, she could give us an accurate description about it." Jackie grumbled. Libbey grinned at her.

We heard a car pull into the parking lot and two doors slam shut. Randy asked me if Sam ad talked about bringing anyone, I shrugged, I had no idea what that chick was doing these days. It was like all the chicks in Point Place were dropped on their heads and had completely forgotten what they were like before Jackie came back. Libbey was the only sane girl in the whole town. I couldn't let her out of my sight otherwise she might blend into the chicks here. Sam walked out of the trees, beckoning for someone to follow her. And out of the trees came a man who would put Kelso to shame.

Mrs. Foreman clapped giddily. "Hello tall, tan, and -"

"Timo?" Jackie was out of her seat in one second, flat. Her hands gripped the bench and her features grew livid.

"Look who I found." Sam smiled with a false sweetness. "He looked so lost."

"What are you doing here?" Jackie cried in angst. "Why are you here?"

"I come to bring you home." Timo grinned.

Jackie looked around at all of us, "I am home." She said staring back at him. "This is my home."

The second Sam took Jackie's spot, I stood up with Libbey. "Come on, Libs, let's go swing."

Libbey wrapped her arms tight around my neck and stared back at Jackie and Timo as we walked away. I put Libbey in the big girl swing and watched the group from far away. Foreman was up and standing behind Jackie as her, I had a feeling, worst nightmare came back to haunt her. Libbey rested her head on the chain as Jackie looked back at us, Libbey waved at her and Jackie brought her hand to her mouth then turned back to Timo.

"Who is Timo, Libs?" Libbey looked up at me.

"A boy."

"I mean, who is he to Jackie?"

Libbey frowned as if she wasn't sure what I was asking her, "A boy?"

"Does Jackie feel for him?"

"Oh," Libbey grinned. "His hands. She feel his hands."

I patted her shoulders, I couldn't blame her. I doubted she knew if Jackie loved this Timo, and I had a feeling she didn't, I mean, she told me that he was a mistake. But there was a chance that Jackie told Libbey things that she withheld from everyone else, there was a strong chance.

"He don't like me." Libbey muttered as Jackie pocketed something.

"How do you know?"

"That's why we come to Point Place with Eric." Libbey looked at Jackie as she came towards us. "She no want him, if he no want me."

Jackie was crying, more like bawling, when she came over to Libbey and I, asking if I could take them to her apartment. I wasn't sure if I was able to say no, Jackie looked crushed beyond repair and there was no way I could add insult to injury. Sam gave me a warning glare, like to say if I went then I'd be in trouble. I stared at her as I draped my arm around Jackie's shoulder's and lead her away with Libbey's hand in mine.

It didn't seem like that big of a deal to me that Timo was here. I mean, he didn't hit her, beat her, abandon her, he just wasn't fond of Libbey. But I didn't understand why Jackie would get all teary-eyed over that, normally she would tell them to get over it and on with their life. And Foreman said that Timo messed her up, so what was so bad about this guy? Did he degrade her or something?

I ran my fingers through Jackie's hair as she laid down with her head in my lap. I put Libbey to bed and came back in the living room in hopes of talking to Jackie, but all she could do was keep the water works flowing.

"Come on, Jackie." I rubbed her shoulders and pulled her up.

Jackie sniffed and rested her head on my shoulder. I put my arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm as a few more waterfalls went down.

"What's so bad about Timo?" I asked her quietly.

Jackie tried wiping the tears away, "He's a stripper." Jackie whispered and her tears came back.

"No, Jackie, come on, Doll." I gave her a squeeze. "You're crying because he's sleazy?"

"No." She muttered and started regaining her composure.

"Why then?"

Jackie buried her face in her hands, "I married him."

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**What did you guys think of the lyric line? It's from Fool in the Rain, and I think it pretty much summed up what Jackie thought about Hyde and Sam. Well, keep up the reviews, I love them! Oh, and the fact that he's a stripper, that isn't what's got Jackie all worked up and it's not what 'messed' her up. **

**Thank you all for the support, I really appreciate it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm back! Sorry it took me so long but until we got our computer back we had to use my brother's laptop and i was pretty much on probation.**

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I sat in the El Camino parked outside the Foreman's. There was no possible way to process everything that had just happened, no human could have expected that. Jackie marrying a stripper was like Fez marrying a health freak, it just didn't line up. Jackie hated strippers. I knew Sam and Mrs. Foreman were waiting inside for me with the fruitcake that Jackie hitched but I couldn't go in there just yet. Not when I was ready to watch some heads spin. I needed to collect myself, grow some patience and a piece of mind before I went in to get an over night bag. I turned the Camino off but sat in it for a while, just listening to the wind outside and the car horns coming from the main street. I knew it was Sam who did all of this, I knew it for a fact, and I had a feeling I knew why she did it to.

Sam and Mrs. Foreman were in the kitchen making coffee for Timo when I walked in through the sliding glass door. Mrs. Foreman watched me as I walked past the three of them and into the basement to gather some stuff. No one followed me down, which I was glad for, but Foreman was in the basement with Fez when I got down there. Fez asked how Jackie was, I grunted and hurried into my room.

"Where you going, man?" Foreman asked after I reentered the room.

"I'm going to stay with Jackie tonight. Give her some safety from her fruitcake." I shrugged and put my shades back on. "She doesn't want Libbey to get all upset."

"Like you?"

"I am not upset, Fez." I snapped. "I'm pissed because my wife did this behind my back."

Foreman and Fez exchanged looks, "I'm looking out for Libs." I assured them.

"See you, man." Foreman waved.

Timo was nibbling on a cookie and sipping on coffee when I came back into the kitchen with my knap sack over my shoulder. Sam popped out of her seat when she noticed the small bag.

"What's that for?" She asked moving towards the door.

"I'm staying at Kelso's tonight." I lied. Mrs. Foreman gave me a look.

"Where is Jackie?" Timo asked. I looked over at the foreigner and sneered. "I would like to talk to her."

"Well, grab a number, buddy." I hissed.

"You're not staying at Kelso's." Sam stated. "Where are you going?"

"Gee, Sam, I'd tell you but it seems like sneaking around behind each others backs is what we're all about. So, sorry to burst your bubble, but it's none of your damn business!" I wheeled around and stormed through the kitchen door into the living room. The three of them were at my feet.

"Jackie is my wife." Timo said with his German accent growing thicker as he grew more agitated.

I looked over my shoulder at him while I had one hand on the door, "Yeah, well, good jobs keeping tabs on her."

"Hyde!" Sam shrieked. "Don't you walk out that door!"

"Or what, Sam?"

Sam looked at me with eyes that would have put Laurie to shame. I didn't care though, she lied to me and went behind my back to sabotage Jackie and Libbey, I was immune to her, if she broke down crying it would just motivate me to leave quicker. I knew Sam could be sneaky and bitchy but this was low, this was lower than the scum of the scum of the sidewalk were dogs don't even dare to walk. I couldn't even look at my wife, I was disgusted with her. I shook my head and slammed the door shut behind me. So what if I went over to Jackie's to aide to her and Libbey, it wasn't like I was sleeping with Jackie.

I was surprised neither Timo or Sam followed the El Camino in the shadows, but when I got to Jackie's place there wasn't a car or person on the street or sidewalk. Just to make sure, I hung out on the front steps, took a walk before deciding to head in. I had to be Libbey's protector, us orphans had to stick together.

"Hey." Jackie whispered as she wiped her eyes.

I put down my bag at the door and walked over to the kitchen where she was standing eating ice cream. It was bugging me that I had no clue what to do. I couldn't yell at her for marrying a stripper, that would be hypocritical, but how could she be so stupid? She hated strippers, completely loathed them. I sat on the counter as Jackie played around with her ice cream, was I supposed to say something to cheer her up? Or should I have just kept quiet so she could clear her thoughts.

"Why?" I whispered.

Jackie looked up from her mint ice cream, "Why what?"

I crossed my arms over my chest, "You know what."

"Well, why did you?" She tossed the spoon into the sink and stared at me intently.

"Were you drunk?"

"No." Jackie put the ice cream back in the freezer and headed for the living room, I followed her like a dog. "I wasn't high either. But Steven, sometimes anger can have the same affect on a person as drugs or alcohol."

All night I tossed and turned. I couldn't decide if I wanted to bash in Timo's face or kick my wife to the curb. I was mad enough for either but I wouldn't be able to kick Sam to the curb, there wasn't enough activity in Point Place for the kick to be worth it. But bashing Timo wasn't a bad idea if I had Jackie and Libbey's full support. I stared up at the ceiling from my place on the couch, I had half the mind to go wake Jackie up so we could talk about this like I wanted, hopefully she could answer all my questions. I doubted it though. If she wasn't drunk, if she wasn't high, then she obviously married him for some reason. And Jackie couldn't have been angry enough to marry him. Angry enough to cut her hair or go without make up, sure. Angry enough to say somethings she'd really regret, why not. But angry enough to marry the one thing she hates, hell no.

Libbey was the first one up in the morning, I heard her talking to her teddy bear in German as she crawled past the couch in an attempt to be sneaky. Her wide grin played the small face when she noticed that I wasn't asleep anymore. She told me that Jackie wanted more time to sleep and told her to go wake me up to cook breakfast. I didn't want to, I was too tired and I probably looked like hell, but I couldn't deny the Bambi eyes asking for chocolate chip pancakes. Libbey dragged me by my right pointer finger into the kitchen. I watched the little girl as she went through the cabinets at her level, taking out a skillet and the chocolate chips. Of course, I had to get the pancake mix and mixing bowl because they were far beyond Libbey's reach.

"The fat ladies made these for us." Libbey said while she stuck her finger in the batter. "Timo, too."

I nodded, "Did you like Timo's cooking?"

"Well, not Timo." Libbey went in again. "Nina."

"Who was Nina?"

"The house lady." Libbey said simply. She opened her mouth to say something but Jackie walked in the kitchen, Libbey's mouth snapped shut. "Guten Morgen."

"Morning, baby." Jackie kissed the top of Libbey's head. "Steven." Jackie nodded.

"Morning Sunshine." I grinned, Jackie grimaced.

"I want to go to Six Flags." Libbey grinned from ear to ear.

"No, Libbey, not today." Jackie turned down.

"But Jaja."

"No."

Crocodile tears swelled in Libbey's eyes. I turned my back to the little girl, no way was I going to cave in just because she started the waterworks. My mind wandered to Jackie and Timo, it was the only thing that could my mind from Libbey's wails. Jackie set her tea cup she just pulled out aside and tried calming Libbey down. She told her maybe another day, when things with Timo were smoothed over. Libbey let out a gasp and cried even harder. I peeked over my shoulder from the frying pan, Libbey was clutching Jackie for dear life, begging in her native language. Jackie kept shaking her head no.

"Come on," Jackie put Libbey down as I filled her cup with hot water. "You can go through my pictures and sort which ones a good and great." She took Libbey's hand and led her out of the kitchen. She was gone for a few minutes but finally came back, groaning as she did. "I hate going to Six Flags."

Jackie dunked a tea bag in the water, "You use to love going there." I smirked. "We knew how to get for free."

She rolled her eyes, "And what are people going to think of me know, huh? What are they going to say when I come to the gates with my shirt tied up and a little girl on my hip? They're going to say I'm some kind of whore, that's what."

"You can offer to sell your husband for two hours in exchange for two free tickets." I suggested as I finished up the last of the pancakes.

"No snide remarks?"

"What?"

"Oh come on, Steven." Jackie took a sip of tea. "I married a stripper!"

"Look," I couldn't even think of a thing I wanted to yell. "Your reasons for marrying the blonde bimbat are yours. I don't want anything to do with them. If you want to tell me, then tell me, but I'm not going to pester you."

Jackie considered my words for a moment, "I don't know what to do." Her voice was soft and I think even a little ashamed.

"You could talk to Donna."

Fez, Foreman, Timo, and I sat in the basement around three that same day. I sat in my chair, trying my best to keep my attention focused on the t.v screen when I really wanted to choke Timo for whatever he was doing to Jackie. He was sitting in the lawn chair, fiddling around with his fingers, combing his hair, and fixing his clothes; he was worse than Kelso and Jackie meshed into one. Fez took the couch, throwing glares over to the German Stripper whenever he thought Timo's attention was elsewhere. Foreman sat on the freezer, reading a comic book and sucking on a popsicle. None of us had said much of anything, there wasn't much to say in the first place, and I wasn't sure if Timo knew he wasn't welcome.

Samantha popped in and out of the basement from time to time, she said she forgot something or left it behind, her and Donna were having a sleepover. I wasn't even in the mood to peek in on the little get together, it wasn't worth it, I always saw Sam naked, there wasn't anything I'd be missing. Donna came with her one time, that's when Foreman and her went upstairs to 'find some cola' but it was a no go, pun intended. So I assumed Foreman had Jackie and Timo on the brain too.

"We could go check on the girls." Timo suggested as she examined his nails. "I think I saw a window from driveway."

"You're married." I reminded him coldly.

"Could have fooled me." Timo bit his nails.

"Why'd you marry her in the first place, man? Was she just a butt call you got a little to tipsy with? Did you force her into it or something?" Timo looked appalled by my questions. And, being the Queen of bad timing, Jackie walked into the basement with Libbey.

"I love Jacqueline."

I snorted. Libbey took her normal spot on my lap.

"Oh don't worry." Timo's brown eyes flashed a dangerous color. "I shall not hurt her. I could never hurt her in a way that comes remotely close to how you hurt her. She means the world to me, I would give my life for her happiness, I would remarry her if she asked, I will tell her I love her everyday, and I won't shy away from telling her that I can see a future for her and I."

Jackie pouted and her tears grew watery, Foreman looked at her incredulously.

"I love you, Jacqueline."

Jackie opened her mouth and Foreman threw a wrapped popsicle at her.

"Eric." She snapped. Foreman shrugged, Fez took the popsicle. "I love you, too."

"What?" Foreman and I hissed at the same time. "What?" Foreman repeated to me, like I wasn't supposed to care if Jackie was married to this dillhole, well I did. She was making a mistake, and she'd regret it, I knew what I was talking about.

"What?" I snapped back at him and went back into a state of Zen while Jackie and her lover boy oogled each other.

What the in the hell had just happened? Less than twenty four hours ago Jackie hated the stripper in front of her. And now? Well, now she was basically doing him with her eyes. And what about Libbey, I thought that's why Foreman brought them back, because Timo didn't like Libbey. She was screwing with my head; one minute Timo was a mistake and now Jackie's head over heels for him? The girl was insane, totally whacked up, maybe after all those years being Pam's daughter finally did her in. I bounced Libbey on my knee, unintentionally, as I thought it through. Was she playing me or something? Secretly wanting me but lying to the rest of the world. I mean, what was so great about this Timo guy anyways? He put Kelso to shame, sure, but what about me. I mean, I'm sure I put him to shame, but what was going on in Jackie's mind?

"Jackie." Foreman grunted as Jackie and Timo were lip locked on the couch an hour later. Libbey was at the candy store with Fez. "Jackie," He repeated more firmly. "Mrs. Stripper!" Timo looked up.

"What Eric?" Timo asked, sounding a lot like Jackie.

"Happy Days is on." Foreman smirked and went back to watching the commercial. I grinned at him.

I had never wanted Sam around more than I had when she first got here. There was a strong feeling pulsing through me, the feeling that wanted to show Jackie and Germantown up, Sam was from Vegas, she was better than Timo, besides, Sam had boobs. The girl had been popping in and out all day and _now _she decided to be a good little girl and stay where she said she was going to stay. What kind of damn stripper stays away from a crowd. My leg started bouncing again, I just wanted to pulverize Germanboy right dead smack in the nose, welcome him to America the Steven Hyde way. But Jackie was glued to his face, so I might have accidentally hit her. Eh, maybe that wasn't such a bad idea, you know, I could really know some serious common sense into her.

"How old are you, man?" I asked after Jackie broke off.

Timo played with her fingers, "Twenty-eight."

"What?" I stopped slouching. "In eight years?"

Timo chuckled, Jackie glared at me. "No, Twenty-eight for eight days." His smile made me was to kick his ass.

"Age isn't important, right, Jackie?" Jackie nodded in agreement.

Dear God, thank you! Sam pranced in with her usually sultry sway. Her eyes flashed when she saw Jackie on Timo's lap, but it was a dangerously satisfied flash, the kind I took extreme caution to. Sam watched Jackie and Timo as she sauntered over to my lap, which I pulled her into forcefully, not that she cared though. Jackie's face lacked emotion, it was aloof, that was it. I pulled Sam a little closer, still waiting for a reaction from Jackie, nothing though, it was all damn Zen.

"Whatcha talkin about?" Sam pouted as she traced her nails over my side burns, nothing from Jackie, aloofness.

"Timo's twenty-nine." I said.

"Twenty-eight." Germany corrected.

"Ten years older than Jackie." I rolled my eyes.

"I don't think that matters." Sam looked at the ground.

"He knows," Foreman put in. "He's just saying, it's kind of strange, Jackie dating a guy old enough to vasectomy."

"Eric." Jackie whispered.

"Jackie." Foreman returned.

And just like the previous night, I tossed and turned. How could Jackie be so stupid. At least I married a stripper who was my age, Jackie was dating someone she could have called her way older brother. Every time Sam tried to grab at something, I would knock her hand away. I wasn't going to put my good reputation at risk just because Jackie and Krampus were nagging at my thoughts. What I wanted to know why Jackie left Timo into he first place. It obviously had nothing to do with Libbey as Libbey thought, and apparently Jackie loved him, so then what gives? I know she said he was a mistake, but then shouldn't she be filing for a divorce instead of necking him every second she got. It was like Kelso and Jackie all over again. That sent a shiver down my spine.

The next morning while Sam and I took turns using the bathroom, I could hear ruckus out in the main room of the basement. Timo's loud laugh gave an instant fog to my day. Sam wasn't in a rush to go out there, either, she moved slowly to get dressed and by the time I was in and out of the shower, she was only dressed her a bra and panties. She grinned smugly, if she had brought Timo to America, I bet she was sure regretting it know. Because that constant presence was going to be here until Jackie came into her right state of mind and sent his ass back to Germany. I kissed Sam's cheek when both of us had jeans on. She smiled but it wasn't there, not like it normally was.

"Why didn't you stay at Donna's last night?" I asked as it came to me.

Sam shrugged when I handed her the tank top she asked for. "I don't know. I _thought_ you'd want to be together, but I don't know. And I just needed to be with my husband."

"What's going on Sam?" I asked, Jackie use to pull the same, I'm hiding something but I don't want you to know, crap.

"It's nothing." Sam said, a bit more color coming back to her face. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled herself closer. "I just miss you. You've been spending all your time with Jackie and Libbey, so we never get to go anywhere."

She placed a kiss on my lips and led me out of the room. Jackie was massaging Timo's shoulders while her flipped through a magazine, and I was sure it was one of Jackie's magazines, well, the kind she use to read. She gave us the same grin Sam had given me earlier and went back to Timo's massage. I noticed the scrunching of Sam's eyebrows, it was quick, but it was there.

"Morning, Timo." Sam said.

Timo nodded but didn't look up from his magazine. I felt a rush of heat go through me, and not the good kind by any means. Was he to good to give Sam an answer? He was a stripper, she was a stripper, I was pretty sure they were on the Sam page. I patted Sam's thigh and watched the happy couple for a while.

"Where's Libbey?" Sam tried again.

"Adam's watching her." Jackie whispered as she worked on a specific spot.

Sam and I exchanged a glance. I hoped this was what she wanted because I was starting to think that Sam was the one who stole Foreman's stash to bring a little bit of Germany to Point Place. But I couldn't prove it. Anyways, if Sam did do this, she better not be pouting because it wasn't what she expected because I'll wipe that pout off her face so fast...Sam sighed and decided to pick conversation up with Jackie since Timo apparently thought he was better than us.

"That's a nice rock." Sam nodded to Jackie's wedding ring. It made my ring for her seem pathetic.

"It better be nice." Timo snorted. "It cost me more than this entire town." Jackie sucked on her lips.

"Excuse me, Drekavac, but I think she was talking to your wife. You know, the one who seems more like a maid than a wife." I should have taken my shades off, to enhance the fierceness, but I didn't want Jackie and Sam to see something Timo was too shallow to notice.

"Let's go get food, Jacks." Timo said, his accent growing strong.

Timo brushed Jackie's hands off of him and strode to the door, "I'm not hungry, Timo." Jackie looked over at him then to us.

"I said, let's go." Timo's voice had a certain Jackie tone to it. Sam stared at the couple like they were a soap opera. I was going to knock some heads around if Jackie walked out with Timo.

"See you guys later." Jackie muttered and followed Timo.

"Jackie." I threw my arms in the air. "What the hell?"

"Bye." She grinned half-assed and followed behind Timo.

Sam and I sat in silence for a while. I wasn't sure what she was thinking but I was on the verge of some major ass kicking. First Jackie and I are headed down a good path, then Timo shows up, Jackie swears he was a mistake, but ends of necking him twenty hours later. And this morning her and Timo are highly reminiscent of Jackie and Kelso, except Jackie's the bitch and Timo is in total control. Is that what Foreman was talking about? Jackie being at the opposite end of a possessive relationship. I mean, some girls might like it, but Jackie has that need for control. So why was she with him? I thought Jackie was over shallowness, I thought that money wasn't everything to her anymore. And was it really my fault she went off and married the guy?

"That," Sam broke the silence. I rubbed my eyes and looked over at her, she was on the couch now. "That isn't the girl who left."

"It's her foil." I agreed. I groaned and gripped my knees as I tried to gather my thoughts, I needed a joint. "Well, I hope this was worth stealing Foreman's stash."

"What?" Sam snapped her head towards me.

"Gigs up, babe." I told her. "I know you were the one who sent for Herr Scheide."

"Hyde," Sam frowned. "I swear I didn't. I haven't had time. I've been pulling double shifts so I can pay for my car."

"Well, someone did. And you're the only one with a vendetta against Jackie."

"I didn't do it."

"Who did it, then, Sam?"

"He has money, he could have tracked her down." Sam suggested.

"Whatever." I grunted and slouched in my chair. This whole day was going to hell.

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_Just so you know:_ _**Sam isn't lying**. Hyde hasn't confronted his feelings about Jackie marrying a stripper yet._ And Sam and Jackie hostile towards each other really soon.  
**Oh: Please Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Review please:)**

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"What are you two looking at?" Timo asked when he noticed Sam and I staring. Jackie shifted uncomfortably in the patio chair next to him. "Too good for your American eyes?"

Sam rolled her eyes, I had to admit that I liked the fact that she was against the whole Jackie-Timothing, even though I knew it was for entirely different reasons, but as long as I had someone on my side, I could deal. Fez and Kelso bounced the basketball back and forth as Donna and Foreman played patty cake with Libbey on the hood of the cruiser. We weren't up to anything, just hanging out, but the group was starting to feel a little full with the new egotistic edition. Sam looked away but I continued to glare at the two under the protection of my shades.

"How'd you know where Jackie was?" I looked him up and down.

"My heart showed me to the way." Timo smiled at Jackie. Jackie grinned back.

"Oh, gag me." I sneered.

"Hyde," Jackie and Donna snapped.

"So prostitution is legal in Germany." Sam folded her arms over her chest and glanced back to the guy. "How's your dignity lately? Because last time I checked, when you make a career of selling yourself, your dignity takes the high road."

"Hark who's talking!" Jackie stood up.

"Sit down, Jackie." Timo demanded, Jackie complied.

"What happened to you?" I hissed at the shy dog. Jackie couldn't even look me in the eye.

Awkward silence reigned over the driveway once again. Fez and Kelso stopped dribbling the ball, they just stared at each other, holding an imaginary conversation. This was a new Jackie, not the one who ran away from Point Place for something new, this girl was obedient, anti-social, and unenthusiastic. And I wanted to know why. Sam's leg started twitching as she leaned against the fence, a move I had come to know, it meant something was on her mind and it was starting to weigh down on her. I hoped she was going to say that she was the one who brought Timo to America, but she didn't.

"I have to go." Sam finally said.

"I'm sure the strip club is missing their best girl."

Sam slipped her sandals on as she stared at Jackie, "Actually, I have night classes at the community college. Unlike some people, I'm not let going to let a stereotype go to my head." Sam gave Jackie a damn good glare then kissed me good bye.

"Let's leave, babe." Jackie patted Timo's leg.

He swatted her hand away and then slouched down in his chair, "No." Timo licked his lips when Kelso and Fez started dribbling the ball and Foreman went back to Donna and Libs. He had a strange knowing look in his foreign eyes, I wanted to gouge them out. "You know, you all." Timo stared at me. "Before Jackie went to Amsterdam, we were thinking about having a baby."

"You were thinking." Jackie muttered under her breath and glancing up at me.

"We were thinking," Timo gazed at Jackie for a bit. "Little tykes running around. Jackie thinks a woman should do the cooking and cleaning. And I would bring home the bacon." He grinned.

"See Jackie and I were going to hire a maid to cook and clean." I twitched my nose as the corners of Jackie's mouth pulled into a small smile. She buried her face in her hands before Timo looked over. "And then all she would have to do is be an acrobat in bed."

"Wow, this conversation can't get anymore uncomfortable." Foreman snickered with Donna.

"I bring home more bacon." Timo tested.

"My bacon hasn't been around town."

"Never mind." Foreman contradicted himself

"BURN!" Kelso declared. Timo and I glared at him. "What?" Kelso looked between the two of us.

"Don't worry, Kelso," Fez tossed him the ball. "Those idiots can't appreciate a good burn."

..

Randy and I sat on the floor of Grooves, going through the records and deciding which ones to put on sale for our monthly blow-out sale. WB had sent me a list, the same one he sent Angie, but my method was better. You can't put the records that everyone buys on the sale rack, you have to do the ones nobody buys. To get them out of the way and make room for the music that mattered. We had been through three possibilities but none of them seemed to work for me when we had them finished. Randy finally gave up at the end of the fourth time through them.

I ignored him when he tried talking to me. Sorting through the damn records was the only thing that could keep my mind too busy for Jackie thoughts. Deciding between ABBA and The Village People was way more aggravating and thought consuming than bashing Timo or calling immigration on him. Randy went into the back room to find WB's list as I flung the ABBA record across the room. As the record split into several different pieces, Jackie walked in with sunglasses and a dark coat with the hood drawn over her head. Her head turned to where the record was scattered and then to me. I stared at her, unprotected by shades, she looked like the shadow she was.

Jackie took the sunglasses off as I put mine on.

"We're closed." I muttered.

"I'm not looking for records, Steven." Jackie rolled her eyes.

"That's what you generally do in record shops, you know." I picked the broken record off the floor. "Shouldn't you be with your German?" I said after pitching the record in the back and then seeing Jackie in the same spot she was in when I reentered the front room.

"I told him I was at Eric's."

"Whatever." I huffed.

"What?"

"Jackie!" I barked when Randy came back in. "Less than two days ago you hated him! You were calling him a mistake! And now all of a sudden you're Kelso and he's Jackie? It's not normal, man."

"Normal?" Jackie put her hands on her hips. "Normal? Please, Steven, tell me what you know about normal. You married a stripper, you're married to a stripper and you don't even love her." Now her arms folded.

"You don't know that." I snapped.

Jackie's expression faltered for a moment before it turned back on the defensive. She glared from me to Randy with a certain amount of hate that I hadn't seen come from her in a long time. Of course I didn't love Sam, I don't love people, and Jackie had to know that. She put up with me long enough to understand that love wasn't an emotion in my box.

"Say it." She tested.

"What?"

"You heard me." Jackie's stance grew more tense. "If you love her, then say it."

"If you love Germany, then you say it."

Jackie smirked, "I love Timo."

This day had all gone to hell. Every last minute of it. Jackie had yet another win on me and my status over Timo, in Jackie's eyes, wasn't looking so good. It couldn't have been so hard to say three meaningless words, I've said things I didn't mean before, how could three words be any harder? And, of course, Jackie was going to tell Sam and then Sam would be crabby for the next month. So within twenty-four hours I ruined a month. Actually, Timo ruined it, but Sam wouldn't it look at it that way. I flipped through the damn paperback book as Fez, Foreman, Kelso, and I sat in the basement, like old times. The book had to have what I was looking for.

"What are you doing?" Foreman asked.

"Looking." I muttered.

"For what?"

"None of your damn business." I grunted and flipped towards the back.

Kelso and Fez started playing red hands as I went through a few more pages before settling on one that I liked. I folded the page in half and tossed it on the washer. Foreman was sitting on the table, going through the channels, trying to find something interesting to look at. He settled for a game show that had been running for the past twenty minutes. I could have gotten out the stash but Red was in and out of the basement, going through boxes because Mrs. Foreman told him,too. Maybe she could knock some common sense into Jackie, tell her that the woman was in charge, especially if that woman was half the size of the man and carried a child in her arms. Timo should have been the next Kelso, not Jackie.

Sam pranced into the basement with a few books in her arms, I smacked Fez when he began telling us his dirty little school girl fantasy the second Sam went into the bedroom. He pouted and rubbed the spot when Sam came back in with a new outfit on. She told us that Timo and Jackie were upstairs having tea with Mrs. Foreman. So maybe Red was going through the boxes for his own satisfaction instead of Mrs. Foreman's. I slouched in my seat and took a deep breath in. This guy was like cancer, starting small and working his charm through all the functioning parts. And like cancer, he needed to be gotten rid of, naturally or forcefully, either way, I was going to be the doctor doing the procedure.

Foreman and the others started up a game of monopoly when Donna came down and propped herself up on the freezer. I asked her about the tea party and she just rolled her eyes, saying that Timo was a mistake. Donna said when she was up there Jackie was talking and Timo told her stop blabbing, and Jackie stopped. And I guess it doesn't seem like a big thing but this is Jackie Burkhart, she doesn't shut up for anyone, she's a telethon. I excused myself for a few minutes and stepped outside with my book and a marker.

"It's all getting a little old if you ask me." Donna groaned when I came back in.

"Well, he wouldn't even be here in the first place if it wasn't for you." Said an agitated Fez, he wasn't winning at the game.

"Fez."

"What do you guys want to do?" Foreman asked.

We were bored out of our minds. None of us wanted to go upstairs and see what Jackie and the Bubistrich were up to, besides, it's not like Timo wouldn't tell us all about their perfect dinner party later. Sam and Donna were going through a magazine to pass the time until someone thought of something to do. Kelso moved away from Fez and knocked something off of the lawn chair, it was Timo's coat, along with his keys to the motel he was staying in. I stared at them for a moment and looked away, let the dirt and grime sink in and clog his lungs or something. Foreman picked the keys up, though, dangling them and smiling mischievously.

"I'm feeling a little destructive." I grinned at Foreman's words.

"I'm driving."

The six of us cramped into Timo's small rental. Sam sat on Donna's lap in the back with Fez and Kelso, both of whom probably had the world's biggest hard ons at the moment. We took the car on the back roads and made a few screeching halts, some trips through mud puddles, we even had to throw some stones, it was a must. Timo was staying at the local motel that was about a half an hour away from the Foreman's and five minutes away from Fez's apartment, so we could make a quick getaway. Sam lit one of her appalling scented insent sticks in the backseat once we were all out of the car. She bought it with Mrs. Foreman and never really had the chance to use it until now. I praised her quick thinking, I knew I liked her for some reason.

Timo was staying in one of the nicer rooms of the hotel, well, nicer until we walked into it. Kelso rushed into the bathroom and started his business in there. Fez shut the door on him, no one wanted to know what Kelso did in there by himself. I put the DO NOT DISTURB sign out and locked the front door behind us. We started talking about what we planned on doing and then Foreman thought up a point, who was going to be the watchdog? Fez was the only person for the job, since he is always the person to stand watch. He was going to tell people he was waiting for Timo and Timo's girl to get done with their business before going in. No one else had a better excuse, so Fez's worked.

Sam looked around the room and started tearing the sheets off his bed and throwing his clothes all over the room. Donna played around with the papers in his briefcase and made sure to keep his passport in perfect condition. Foreman looked through the papers that Donna was throwing about, he wasn't really aiding the cause but if he found something we could use against the dirty German, then all the power to him. Me, well, I was going to make my mark on the mirror, I didn't care if Sam was here or not, she'd get over it. Besides, this whole thing was to show Timo that he didn't belong here and that's exactly what my little poem proved.

_"The moon and the sun looked at each other's eyes  
a surprise! ! they have already met at sunset! !  
oh, my, at night they got separed!  
their heart was unprepared...  
The pain was unbearable, for they are unseparable_

_the moon got carried away, the moon had nothing to say...  
will they ever see each other?  
for they love so one another"_

Kelso was the first one done, he came out of the bathroom, zipping his pants up and smiling like the dork he was. I shut the bathroom door after looking in it. Toothpaste and soap littered the floor, toilet paper filled the toilet, water and towels and tissues were in the tub, and Kelso's bad aim was proven all over the walls. It was disgusting, childish, but a complete masterpiece. I patted Kelso on the back, the dork really came through when you needed him. Foreman stuffed some papers in his back pocked as Fez busted through the door, jumping and panting with excitement. The manager heard the ruckus from the blasting radio and decided to see what it was probably.

We grabbed the jumping Sam and Donna off the bed, lit the joint under the table, and crawled out the window. Sam hooked the keys onto Timo's windshield wiper and took off running in the direction of Fez apartment with us. My heart was pounding, this was almost as good as a joint. I couldn't believe how great was I feeling, like nothing could ever go wrong.

"That was GREAT!" Kelso laughed when we shut the door to Fez's apartment. We nodded in agreement.

"That should send his sorry butt back to Germany." Fez smiled.

"Did you find anything in those papers, man?" I asked Foreman after Fez brought everyone a beer. Sam sat in my lap when she got back from getting a water out of the fridge.

"He's worth more money that Jackie's whole family." Foreman told us. "He writes a chick named Nina every night and I don't think she's his mom. He carries his family history in his briefcase and he didn't find Jackie on his own."

I lowered the beer from my lips.

"How'd he find her?" Sam asked.

Donna looked at the paper with Foreman, "Jackie." She snacthed the paper out of his hands. "Jackie paid for his plane ticket and taxi to Point Place." Foreman pulled another paper from his pocket and handed it to Donna. Donna skimmed through it and passed the first paper around. "Jackie wrote him and said that she wanted to come home, but she wanted him to come and get her."

"And he listened to her?" Fez looked around at us.

"Apparently."

"Wait, what the hell was that whole scene at the picnic? She was upset over him being here." Sam protested.

"Jackie wanted to be an actress." Kelso remembered." Those of us who remembered, nodded.

"She's playing us." I was finally able to say through my thoughts.

Sam shook her head, "She's playing you."

Donna nodded, "She wants you to suffer, Hyde. And, in my opinion, I think she got to you."

I clenched my teeth, I could handle many things, but not being played. If this was how Jackie wanted to play hard ball, then so be it, two could play at that game. I set my beer on Fez's side table and stood up with Sam. Jackie may have gotten to me before, but I had an all new advantage now.

"Come on, Sam." I grabbed her hand and headed towards the door. "Let's go show Timo what an American marriage is all about."

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**Thank you Kuji Soliman. **


	7. Chapter 7

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Please review. I have an idea for a new story, read the question at the end.

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"Hey Mrs. Foreman." Sam smiled as her and I walked into the Foreman's living room.

Mrs. Foreman was sitting on the couch in between Jackie and Timo. She gave one of her nervous laughs, looking between me and Timo. Mrs. Foreman didn't need to know what was going on to know there was a truck load of tension building in the room. I plopped down into the pea green chair and Sam took her place on my lap. I felt their eyes on us as Sam nibbled on my ear lobe, especially Jackie's, as if she knew this was directed to her.

"Samantha." Mrs. Foreman whispered. Sam ignored her and moved to my neck. "Samantha!" She barked.

A wicked grin formed on Sam's face before she turned to look at Mrs. Foreman with a puppy dog pout.

"Would you like some tea?"

"I'm sorry Mrs. Foreman." Sam apologized. "I'm just so happy. See, I just got this acceptance letter to a college far away. And at first I was worried because it meant that Hyde and I would be apart for months on end, and well, I don't want to leave my little bumblebee." Sam kissed my cheek. "But I've been pulling double shifts at the club lately, so I could buy my own car, you know. Well, as it turns out, I have enough to _fly _Hyde all by _myself."_ Sam looked at Jackie as she said the last part.

That's one of the things I liked most about Sam, she was a damn good liar. She was able to come up with something quick and make it believeable. No, actually, I loved that about her. As I rubbed Sam's thigh, I stared at Jackie. Her eyes were dark and shot daggers through me, but I was immune to her devilish ways, I had something against her and intended on using it to its fullest. Timo glanced at Jackie and then to me, I smirked at him, telling him to just push one button and see where his ass ended up in the morning. Sam and I were the power couple, we were the couple with the power, Jackie and Timo weren't going to take our title. And if they even though about it, well, let's not get into the sweat and blood.

"So, where's it at?" Jackie asked, I could see the skeptisism in her eyes.

"California." Sam lied.

That stung Jackie, I knew it, Sam knew it, hell, even Germany might have known it. Jackie still cared about me, and I'm sure once she saw Timo's car she would know the feeling was mutual. Jackie cared, just like she cared for Kelso and then the idiot packed up and left her to have sex with random beach trash. And to her, this would probably seem the same way. If I agreed to this, I'd be leaving her. Well, Jackie should have been thinking about how much she cared about me before she imported the Shiede from Germany, because at was at the point where I could care less.

"Really? Don't you think people will miss you?" Jackie pressed. "Donna, Eric, Fez, and I know Libbey will."

"Well, I love Sam. My _heart_ will follow her anywhere."

Sam and Jackie both stiffened up at my words. Jackie stared at me, defeated, and Sam looked down at me with eyes beginning to tear up, and they weren't happy. Timo had no clue what was going on, so the doof sat with his comb going through his hair, and staring off into space. Mrs. Foreman was pleased, she smiled and clapped.

"Steven, dear, that is just the most romantic thing I've heard you say."

"I have work tonight." Sam whispered on the verge of a breakdown.

"Yeah, got keep your act in shape." Jackie choked out. "Bet Hyde_ loves _that."

Sam was passed out when I went downstairs after draining a few beers with Foreman. Her pillow was wet from her crying, a sight that sent a pang out guilt through my stomach. But what caught my attention was her bags near the door, I stared at them, was she going somewhere, a trip, a vacation? I didn't know whether or not to wake her, she might get even more pissed if I did that. So I stood by the door, looking between Sam and her bags. Her purse was on the dresser, and I was tempted to look through it. There wasn't much in there; some make-up, a tampon, a few loose coins, her keys, a roll of film taken at the movies when her and I went a while ago, and a couple hundred bucks protruding from her wallet. Five hundred to be exact. I tucked the bills back in and set her purse on the dresser.

The night wasn't getting any better, either. I left Sam alone and walked into the main part of the basement, where Jackie sat watching the screen. I kept my eyes on her, hidden by me shades, as I sat in my chair. She didn't say anything to me, she just continued staring at the blank television. I used to like silence when I was with Jackie, but it wasn't the case anymore, I wanted to say something, anything, hell, I'd even apologize to her. But I wasn't going to, I couldn't, not after what she did.

"Do you care about me?" Jackie muttered, looking down at her bitten nails, a habit that was never with her before.

"What?" I turned my head to where my eyes were staring.

"You heard me." She frowned.

"Do you care about me?" I recoiled.

Jackie ignored my question, "Because I saw what you did to Timo's car." A slight grim twitched on her face. "So, I was wondering if you're doing it for kicks, or does it really mean something?"

"I suppose." I grunted, not really wanting to finish the sentence. So I didn't. "I think Sam's leaving."

Jackie turned her full attention to me and rolled her eyes, "Well, you love her, so I'm sure you'll be going with her."

"My bag isn't packed." I muttered staring at the screen.

Jackie didn't say anything. Instead, she turned to face the same direction and silence once again settled in the main room of the basement. I was really hoping that Foreman and Donna would show up, but Donna still felt guilty for Jackie leaving and rarely made appearances when Jackie was about. And now it didn't help that shock and anger accompanied her main emotion. As the silence wore on, I grew more fond of it, it allowed me to gather my thoughts about Sam.

"So then you didn't mean it." Damn it all to hell. There was no such thing a fucking silence when Jackie was around.

"I guess not."

"That's not right, Steven Hyde."

"I'm not perfect, Jacks." I said.

"She wasn't asking for perfection, just honesty."

"Sam or you?" I snapped getting irritated.

Jackie didn't say anything.

"Me." She confirmed. "I wasn't asking for perfection."

I stared at her.

She was making impossible to stay mad at her. When I stared into her eyes, she didn't look away and her features never faltered, she stared back at me. When I watched Edna go through guy after guy, I swore I would never do that; I would never lie to my girl, never flirt excessively, and I sure as hell wouldn't cheat. But the older I grew, the more it seemed like I was going to end up exactly like Edna. And what I did proved that right even more so. I couldn't help it, it was like my lips were metal and her's were the magnets. The kiss was soft, sweet, and simple, and I pulled away almost as quickly as I glued myself to her, but it still was a kiss. And as far as I knew kissing was cheating.

"Sorry." I grunted and stood up, Jackie bounced off the couch and grabbed my hand.

"Stay with me tonight." She said, well, she begged.

"Jackie," I rubbed my lips, they were on fire. "I don't think that's a good idea."

I started towards the basement bedroom, Jackie held onto my arm. "No, please. Nothing has to happen. Just stay with me."

"Come on, Jackie. I'm married." I groaned.

"Just sleeping." Jackie's eyes flashed with desperation. "You don't have to tell me if you still care about me, just come with me."

I stared at myself in the mirror as I pulled my clothes off. Who was I? Because I wasn't quite sure anymore. Within the course of three weeks I was a whole new person, doing things I never did before, thoughts things I was sure I had buried long ago. Apparently not though. The water was running behind me, it probably woke anyone who was sleeping, but I could have cared less. Never in my life had I felt this dirty, felt that I needed to be cleansed this bad. And I've done things like this before, but this was the point where I crossed the line, and what a damn fine line it was.

Shame marked itself all over my chest, my stomach, and bits of it was visible on my neck and collarbone. I was sore and exhausted from the nights work, but I couldn't lie down, I wouldn't. So I just stared in the mirror that I put in myself, I wanted to smash it into a million different pieces, mostly I wanted to break the image staring back at me. I hated that image. No matter what I thought of Edna, I could never say she was worse than me. Edna never did this, not once in my life had I even seen it happen. And I'm sure she never would. She was a trucker's best gift, but not even Gross Edna would do this.

As the searing water pierced my back I could feel the shame and regret sticking like Velcro. Didn't chicks do this all the time? They do something they wish they hadn't so they take a hot shower? Didn't it work for them? Because it sure as hell wasn't working for me. And I wasn't about to sink further into my feminine side and try scrubbing the shame off. I already knew that wouldn't work. There wasn't anything that could wipe my slate, so I shut the water off and went back to the mirror. I shook my head, this was me, I was the person in the mirror. But, damn, I wished it was someone else.

My wallet was on the table where I left it but my keys were probably still in the other room, I'd have to leave them. It wasn't worth the talk I would get when she found out what I was coming in to retrieve. I'd just walk. It would give me silence and time to clear my head. So that's what I did.

The breeze felt good against my skin as I walked into it. It felt a lot better than the shower had.

"What the hell is wrong with you, man?" I muttered as I walked down the familiar street, kicking a can as I went.

Foreman and Donna were sitting in the patio chairs when I came up the driveway. Damn, I hadn't been expecting them and it looked like the shock was mutual. Donna took her hand away from Foreman and looked up at me, almost like she knew where I was and what I had been doing.

"Hey." Foreman said.

I nodded.

"Where were you?" Donna asked. "It's like four in the morning."

"I was out."

"Obviously." Donna snorted.

"Look, I was with Jackie, okay?" I snapped. "Happy now?"

Foreman stood up and crossed his arms over his chest in that protective big brother way. I went on automatic defense and took the same stance.

"Hyde." Donna whispered as she came near me. I watched her. "What the hell did you do?"

"I didn't do anything, Donna." I sneered.

Donna grabbed the bottom of my shirt and pulled it up. Her and Foreman exchanged a look and then she dropped it. I rolled my eyes, waiting for the yelling, the shoving, it was coming. Donna didn't do anything though, she just walked away. Foreman and I stood in the driveway, not saying anything to each other, there wasn't anything to say. The marks on my stomach spoke for themselves.

"Want a beer?" Foreman said after some time.

I shook my head, "I'm going to go lay down with Sam." I sucked my lips in and left Foreman alone.

Sam was sitting on the couch, crying, when I walked into the basement. Her bags were on the couch next to her. She glanced at me when I shut the door, a small smile seemed to brighten her face a little. My book was in her hands, along with the ring I kept in my top drawer, under my underwear. I took a spot in my seat and waited for the crying girl to talk.

She held up the book, "I never knew you could be so romantic."

"Sam, we need to talk."

Sam shook her head, "I need to talk."

I stared.

"I'm sorry." She gasped as more tears poured down her face. "I knew Jackie was going to buy that ticket."

"What?" I hissed.

Sam's tears came down quicker. "I heard her talking to the airport when I was at her house getting the shoes and everything. She told me not to tell, I swear I would have told you, but he came so fast." Sam was a wreck, I grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry."

I wiped some of her tears with my free hand. She grinned slightly and kissed my hand. "I'm married." She murmured.

"I know." I kissed her hand.

"No," Sam bit her lips. "No, you don't."

I dropped her hand and Sam broke into a hysterical fit of sobbing.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Jackie's your Sunshine, isn't she?" Sam set the ring on the table.

"What does it matter?"

Sam nodded as if that was an answer enough for her. "She was your first love, I know it. And no matter how many times and ways you try to convince yourself, you'll never get bored of having her around, watching her, dreaming... I have a first love, too, Steven. His name's Larry. And I was drunk and hurt when I met you, and you seemed like a great guy, someone who knew how to have fun, and that's when I convinced myself I was bored with him."

I could feel my glare grow darker, I was just a toy?

"We're together." Sam stood up. "But every time Jackie and you are in the same room, I can't help but feel like the other woman. You know you love her, Hyde, so why am I here?"

"Apparently you're bored with Vegas." I sneered.

Sam frowned.

"I'm going home, Hyde." I felt obligated to help her with her luggage. "I'll write when I get there." She promised with one last flow of tears.

I handed her some spare bills from my back pocket, "For you're car."

Sam smiled, a genuine smile this time. We stood there for a moment before I embraced her. Sam clung around my waist and cried into my chest. I wasn't going to deny that the past months with Sam were enjoyable. Sure, we fought at times and granted that I never really loved her, but we had some good times. She was great to me and sometimes I think that I never gave her the credit she deserved. I kissed the top of her head. I was going to miss the fact that she would come to the record shop in the middle of the day with a six pack and a huge joint, or the way she would go on and on about the stuff she learned at school, and I was going to miss the way she teased me about conspiracies; the way she would pretend to take notes and how when I really agitated her she would actually take notes, only to hand them back to me and advice me to shove them up my ass.

Sam kissed my cheek, "Good luck."

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**I think that's how Sam should have left. !!!-show of reviews: how many people have heard of** _The Five People You Meet in Heaven_**?**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back! **

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"So I haven't seen you're stripper around lately." Jackie smirked as she and Timo flipped through the record collection in Grooves. "Is the poor baby working too hard?" The two of them smiled.

Watching the two of them was like a God damn roller coaster ride. One minute Jackie was in the shadow, another minute Jackie was being pushed and pulled around, and then other times the two of them were as content as two peas in a pod. I got sick just watching them. Brooke, who had been picking up the work Sam left behind, promised me she wouldn't say anything to anyone about Sam leaving. It was one thing for Jackie and Germany to crack jokes about Sam being here, but it would be a total different thing to have them crack on her not being here. Yesterday Jackie and Timo hated each other, she screamed at each other and trashed half of the records in my store. I got Timo to pay for the damage, which he wasn't too happy about since he was just about broke because of having to pay for damages caused in his hotel room.

"She's been having some trouble with a school assignment." I muttered, handing a reciet to Brooke.

"I bet." Jackie snickered.

"At least she's doing something with her life." I snapped.

Jackie and Timo stopped looking at the records and looked over at me, exchanged a look, and went back to sorting. The tension was thick, so thick you could ram into it like a brick wall. So, thank God when the mail boy came in with a letter.

"Thanks." I grinned , taking the letter and giving him a tip.

"Who's it from?" Timo asked.

"Deportion." I said. "I'm sending you back to the mother ship."

He stared at me dumbly.

"None of your business, man." I clarified.

Timo jerked his head towards the door, Jackie followed him out after waving bye to Brooke. I read through Sam letter twice before pitching it in the trash can.

"Who was is from?"

I shrugged, "Just Sam telling me she's home."

"I don't get why you just won't tell Jackie when Timo isn't around."

"Because Jackie's like a flu that you cover up with vitamins. You hide the symptoms and it seems like they won't ever show, but the second you make one mistake, it takes over."

Brooke snorted.

"It's none of her business. That's all." I assured her.

Brooke nodded and went back to keeping records. Business wasn't too upbeat for the day, we had a few costumers come in and look around, maybe two or three actually bought something. But other than that, no one was really interested in the records if there wasn't a hot girl working behind the counter. And sure, Brooke was hot, but no one wanted to touch her if Kelso's touched her, they were probably all afraid of getting some kind of disease. Who could blame them though? Even I didn't know where Kelso's junk has been.

Jackie and Donna were in the basement, doing Libbey's nails, when Brooke and I walked in after I decided to shut Grooves down for the day. Libbey shot us her wide, melt your heart, smile as a pale pink coated her small nails. She wiggled her toes and nodded to them, so we could see what a lovely job Jackie was doing at turning her into a complete girly-girl.

"Jaja says I look pretty." Libbey told us.

"You look very pretty." I agreed and plopped into my seat. Jackie had some ridiculous kid show playing on the screen for Libbey.

"I had to go all the way to my house for some polish." Jackie said, inclining her head to the side as she painted one of Libbey's right hand fingers. "We figured Sam would have some polish and that she wouldn't mind if we borrowed it," I over at Jackie. Damn it all to hell. "Because she likes Libs, but there wasn't any polish back there. In fact, there wasn't anything of Sam's back there." Jackie stopped and glanced over her shoulder.

"You know," Brooke stood up. "I just remembered that Michael baby sat today, so I need to get home to see if my baby is still alive. Bye, Hyde, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sammy is gone?" Libbey pouted.

"You know what'll make you feel better Libbey Lou? Some ice cream." Libbey tore her hand away from Jackie as I stared at the sneaky little- "How about we go raid Kitty's freezer."

"Okay." Libbey bounced off the couch and tugged Donna up the steps.

Jackie and I sat in silence as she twisted the polish cap back on. It was long after the smell of the polish vanished before Jackie said something.

"Why didn't you say something?" She asked quietly.

"Why would I say something?" I retorted.

The words were meant to sting, but if they had, Jackie didn't let it show. She watched me as I toyed with the pads of my fingers, like she was trying to figure something out. I didn't meet her gaze, I let her look, let her try to figure out whatever it was she was trying to figure out. Because I was wearing my shades and they were my armour.

"You want to get something to eat?" She asked, staring out the window of the back door.

Something in her eyes told me to say yes, so like I had so many times before, I gave into the pleading brunette.

We sat at a corner booth in the pizzeria, that way no one could hear us talk or see us together. She ordered a salad, of course, and I just stuck with a nice, ice cold beer, I needed one if I was going to get through dinner with Jackie. We tried some small talk; about the weather, Libbey, and random things, I suppose we were just trying to build up to the big stuff. I drained my second tall glass before the real conversation started about Timo.

"It was suppose to be big and flashy and I was suppose to be in love." She whispered, swirling her cup of coffee.

"Weren't you?" I asked. I had no doubt her wedding was a headliner.

"Were you?"

"My marriage was a void." I admitted after some hesitation. Jackie's jaw dropped and I grinned. "Kind of ironic, huh?"

"You loved her though, right?"

"Not in the same way you're suppose to love someone you marry."

"Yeah, but you know marriages should me sacred. Only if you mean it type of thing." Jackie sipped her coffee slowly, looking up at the ceiling, counting tiles like she always did.

"So then why are you and Timo still hitched?"

Jackie bit her lower lip and stared at me, "Mom divorced Daddy when he got out. He wrote me when I was in Germany, he was a mess because he really did love my Mom and he tried giving her the life and things she always wanted. But he knew that everything he did wasn't enough for Mom, she was a westerly wind that you couldn't saddle down. So it crushed him when he got the papers, he thought that deep down she really did love him." Jackie paused to sip her coffee. "When I found Libbey it was like everything I ever wanted was standing right in front of me, or at least most of it was finally coming into play. I had a dream job, the cutest little girl, and a home, but no husband. Then I met Timo."

I rolled my eyes and Jackie gave me a challenging look.

"And he was tall, foreign, handsome, and everything you hated."

I set my beer down and slouched back in the booth.

Jackie grinned. "I know I sound like I broken record, but you _really _hurt me when you came back from Vegas and Sam followed you. You were supposed to marry me, Steven!" She fought back tears that I was expecting to flow. "And when Timo purposed all I could think of was you and Sam glued to your side and how I would like nothing more than to rub Timo in your face.

We were going to come back to America sooner, but then there was his house maid and his mother and all these other things that cinstituted for reasons why we couldn't do what I wanted."

"Nina?"

"Yeah," She rolled her eyes. "Nina. Miss long legged, British accent speaking, big boobed, 'oops did I drop that duster again', skank. And Timo just couldn't put her out of a job, not his precious little slut." Jackie jabbed the fork into her lettuce. "But I bared with it for a while. He bossed me around, degraded me, told me I wasn't pretty enough, wasn't smart enough, wasn't skinny enough, and all while he praised his 'C' averaged, crook nosed, size six wearing little prima donna. So while they were 'cooking' lunch one afternoon, I packed what I could carry, threw my ring in the pool, and left with Libbey."

"You're not stupid, Jackie." I told her. "Nor are you ugly or fat."

Jackie, who had been doodling on a napkin, shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't really listen to him. I was too busy trying to find Eric."

"So when you two said you ran into each other, you didn't actually 'run' into each other?"

"I wrote the area where he was around if they had seen a really skinny, twitchy man and you'd be surprised how many people knew exactly who I was talking about." Jackie's goddess glow seemed to come back to her momentarily. "He wrote me and we exchanged a few letters before deciding it was time for me to come home."She nodded and her glow was gone.

"I want to be happy, Steven." Jackie was staring into her glass. "I don't want to fight every day and have to wonder when we'll play nice. Or pretend to like each other but really want nothing more than tear each others throats out. I miss the way I was before. I miss feeling pretty and goddess like and thin. I'm tired of my life!" Her hands went to her forehead and silence took the table as she sniffled.

I traced the rim of my glass with my thumb, "I'm glad you came back."

Jackie placed her hand on top of my free one. I stared at it for a moment and then withdrew my hand from under hers. My marriage was a void, her's wasn't. No matter how much she detested Timo, no matter how much she was shafted in the relationship, she married him and she wasn't drunk. But I suppose getting married in spite of someone is even worse than getting married because you're too drunk to comprehend the difference between love and lust.

"Come on." I said, standing up and placing a twenty on the table. "I'll take you home."

"So are you looking to fill Sam's position?" Jackie asked as we walked up the stairs of her apartment building.

Adam was standing out in the hallway talking to Donna when we reached her floor. Donna said that Libbey was sleeping in Jackie's bed. I followed Jackie and Donna into the apartment after Donna said good night to Adam, who seemed slightly disappointed seeing the saucy redhead leave him.

"Are you looking for a job?" I asked.

Donna looked over at us, "You have an opening?"

"Sam left." Jackie told her. "Brooke's been filling in."

"Sam left? Oh, Hyde, I'm sorry."

I waved it off. "I doesn't matter." Jackie gave me a doubtful look. "Look, I didn't love Sam so why should I care if she packed her stuff up and left? If you want the job you can have it."

"Really?" Jackie said as if she truly thought I was going to refuse her the job.

"Well yeah." I shrugged, popping a beer top off for Donna and then one for myself. "Randy and I can't run the place ourselves and Brooke has her own job to worry about. Besides, Fez is looking for something part time and I don't trust that guy with any of my good records. He'll burn them all and replace them with disco." I rolled my eyes.

Jackie and Donna grinned at each other.

"Hey." I said when I walked into the basement and found Fez and Foreman playing Life with Timo.

"I have a girl." Fez wiggled his eyebrows. "And I live in a tudor with my bouncing baby boy."

"Yeah, man, that's great."

"Not Eric, though." Fez smiled. "But Timo has a wife and they live in a very nice house." Fez added, showing me Timo's house card.

"Nina live there too?" I asked, easing into my seat.

"Excuse me?" Timo's accent was thick, which meant he was irritated, which propelled me.

"You heard me."

Foreman pulled Fez down by the shoulder as the foreigner stood up when Timo did. Timo towered over me, but I refused to stand up. I was cool, calm, collected, I was Zen, and Timo wasn't going to break it. Foreman watched me, I knew he knew who Nina was and I wondered why he never stood up to Timo about it. Wasn't he suppose to be Jackie's hero or something?

"I don't know who you are talking about." Timo's voice was even deeper than his accent.

"Sure you do." I licked my lips. "I'm talking about the big-boobed, British side action."

"Oh no he didn't." Fez snapped.

"Sit down!" Foreman shoved him down again. I stood up and stared at Timo. "Down boy." Foreman muttered to Fez.

"I love Jackie." Timo shook his head. "I would never hurt her like some people I know."

'Hit him' I heard Fez murmur as Timo and I maintained eye contact. But I wasn't going to throw the first punch, because then the little whining German would run to Jackie, and God forbid she ignore a crying baby. If I wanted Jackie back I was going to have to do it fair and square. So no matter how much I wanted to kick this guy's ass all the way back to Germany, I'd play fair.

"No, man, you don't love Jackie." I told him. Timo glared down on me. "Tell me something about her."

"What?"

"Tell me something no one else know about her."

"And that's going to prove I love her? You tell me something no one else knows about her."

I didn't say anything.

"Fine." Timo gave in and sat down. "She smiles with her eyes if she's truly happy. If she doesn't like you or isn't interested in what you're saying, she grins or smiles quickly. Your turn."

"She's never been truly happy." I told him. "She's paranoid more than you know, she's always trying to one up everyone because she think they're trying to out do her. And she wants to find true love because, to her, it's the only think that can ever really mean anything."

Timo sat quietly, looking at me, before he left. Foreman and Fez waited for me to say something.

"I really wish you would've punched him." Fez whispered.

"What now, man?" Foreman asked.

"What do you mean 'what now'?"

"Do you love her?"

"I don't know." I shrugged.

"You don't know?"

"What do you want me to say, Foreman? That I'm in love with her even though she's married to the world's biggest ass. That I hate the fact that she married an ass in spite of me? What?"

"Just tell the truth, Hyde." Foreman said, starting towards the basement door. "You might surprise yourself."

* * *

**Well, I really hoped you liked it. I'll do my best to get another chapter up before school starts up. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Not much people have been reviewing. Please review. **

"I want a puppy." Libbey said.

Jackie looked over at Libbey who was playing with her stuffed animal in the living room. Jackie bit her pencil then went back to reviewing some paperwork she had to do for the agency she was working for. Timo was out and about with Kelso so Jackie and I were at her place going over bills, college papers, and her agency work. I read over her college term paper for the fifth time, I swear every time I took a second glance I was finding more errors than there had been the previous time. Maybe I was putting them there myself, I mean I never was really one for college. But I didn't think I would sink low enough to sabotage Jackie.

"Maybe in a few weeks." Jackie told her after looking at her check book.

"Why can not we ask Opa for it?" Libbey pouted and walked over to us.

"Because we're big girls, Libs." Jackie kissed her forehead. "We have dignity."

Libbey nodded slowly and went back to the animal lying in the middle of the floor. Jackie muttered incoherent ramblings to herself as she added the total income she would have if she worked days at the modeling agency and nights at Grooves with me. The night shift really wasn't my thing but I'm sure Randy would have to problem switching to days so Jackie could have his nights. I read over her term paper one more time before deciding it was at least high B work and then pushing it aside and moving to her check book.

She had gained a certain amount of pride in Germany, maybe she figured out that making your own living was really worth it.

"I want to buy a house." Jackie muttered, glancing at Libbey.

"A house?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "She'll be getting bigger and once my first pay check comes in I can get a dog by for one month. But I need to start looking in the long run. I can finish up this year at the community college and earn my Associate, that'll get me by. And with working for you and the agency," She paused and did some long hand calculations. "I can afford to buy one in the Foreman's neighborhood in two or three months."

I wanted to say it, I needed to say it, but I wasn't sure if it was in my place to say it. First of all she was married, even though he was an ass, I still had to respect the marital binds, even if he didn't. I looked at Libbey and then back to Jackie, I didn't want them to leave, who was I kidding. If she stayed with Timo then they'd be out of my life faster than Bud was. Would it really hurt to insinuate something to her, maybe something vague for her to piece her own puzzle together. I paused, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I opened my mouth and gave her something to ponder over.

"But..." Libbey started.

"Libbey!" Jackie gave the little girl a stern look.

"I found one." I told her. Jackie looked up at me.

"You left the nest?"

I shrugged. "I can't depend on the Foreman's forever, you know, I have to be my own man."

Jackie nodded. "Where's the house at? Is it yours or just one that you'd like"

"Here." I gave her the paper of the house from my back pocket. She looked it over. "I'm leaving the Foreman's tomorrow."

"You leaving?" In came Libbey's pouty face again. "Are you going back to Germany with us?"

"Libbey!" Jackie snapped.

"You're going back to Germany?" I sneered. "With him?"

"What does it matter to you?" Her words were cold and acidic. I'm sure even Libbey picked up on the change of tone in her Jaja's voice. She flashed her doe eyes up at us and Jackie pulled me into the kitchen.

.

"She's just going?" Kelso asked.

He, Foreman, Fez, and I were sitting in the bar going on our fifth round of shots, the round sometime after I lost count of the tenth. Foreman kept telling me that I was going to find my fate at the end of one of the glasses. But I figured, what the hell, I'd stop once those two little brunettes were far away from my comprehension. I couldn't believe that little bitch was leaving. It wasn't enough for her to marry that ass in spite of me? She has to come home with a little girl and then just pack up her things and go back home with her son of a bitch husband. She was the reason I was now going on my sixteenth round. I always new Jackie was cold-hearted and low, but I didn't even think she could sink below this. It was losing Libbey that had my mind whirling...naturally.

I shrugged my shoulders at Kelso. I didn't care what she did anymore. I tried playing nice, I gave her a job, security, and I was even going to buy her precious baby girl and Goddamn puppy. Its a good thing I found this oasis otherwise I would have had to use my money on a yapping little runt. I beckoned for another round. My alcohol tolerance was almost as good as my tolerance for other things. Temper wasn't included, of course. I buried my face in my arms, when was this damn nightmare going to be over with. I just wanted to wake up and see no one beside me, have no one waiting for me in the basement, and I sure as hell didn't want that one brunette walking into my life only to walk straight back out.

"I just want to bash his pretty boy face in." Kelso reached up and felt his face even though he knew I wasn't talking about him. Pretty boys did that, I guessed, they were all equally pretty and equally stupid. They shared in each others pain and personality.

I stared at Kelso.

"This is all your fault, man!" I exclaimed.

"And Senor Shots makes his unwelcome presence known." I heard Foreman mutter as I lunged across Fez to get to Kelso.

"What the hell, Hyde!" Kelso snipped after tumbling backwards out of his chair. "Your Jackie problems are not my fault!"

"You screwed her up!"

"I screwed her up? Me? Are you serious? Dude! I was a Saint compared to you."

I glared at him and went back to my bar stool, again, beckoning for another round. I sunk ack my last round, pulled some money out and slapped it on the table before making way to the door.

"Where are you going, Hyde?" Foreman asked.

"Jackie's."

"You can't drive."

"I'll walk."

**_Flashback - Two Months Before Jackie Leaves for Germany  
______________________________________________**

_"Let's go somewhere." Jackie grinned as we walked hand in hand around the path that encircled Point Place's pathetic excuse for a park. It was past midnight on a Sunday night and we were just taking in the beauty of the night, well Jackie mostly. I was absorbing in the presence of something more beautiful than a silver specked blue sky and the moon hovering like Fez. _

_"Like where?" _

_"Does it matter? Anywhere is somewhere compared to this place." She kicked a beer can out of the way. _

_"You name the place." I said, veering off the path into the field. _

_Jackie laid the blanket down on the grass and lit her candles. We kissed for a while, it was passionate, hot, fierce, sort of like the last make out session before a girl dumps you. But Jackie wasn't going to dump me, I just knew what buttons to press to get her motor running. Anyways, she liked this sort of thing; kissing and cuddling under the stars. She got all romantic on my ass when it came to stuff like this. I didn't mind too much, it was just us and it wasn't like she was going to run and tell all the guys what we did in our spare time, other than doing it. _

_"Paris." Jackie said as we stared up at the sky. _

_"France?" _

_"Yes, why?" _

_I shook my head and scooted closer to her. _

_"Those stars right there," She pointed to a cluster of stars south of us. "That could be the Effiel Tower. See, they kind of make a triangle shape." _

_I nodded and pointed to another cluster, "That could very well be Robespierre." Jackie smacked my stomach. _

_We laid there for about an hour pointing out the scenery of Paris. There was no way I could actually take her there, but this was better, for me at least. I got all the luxury of being in Paris with Jackie without all the money burning. I thought she enjoyed it too, she was smiling and smiling was always good. But a part of me knew that she would have really rather been in France, after all, make believe is great until you crash land right back into reality. So whether or not she was actually happy was a mystery to me. But for the time being, I was just going to make sure her fall back to reality is light and pain-free. _

_"Steven." Jackie whispered. Her head was on my chest and her eyes were on the verge of fluttering shut. Both of us were exhausted, maybe this Paris wasn't so bad. Like I said, all the luxury without losing a dime. _

_"Hmm?" I asked, glancing about for my shirt. _

_"Will you take me to Paris? The real Paris."_

_I didn't answer so she went on._

_"It doesn't have to be now, or tomorrow or anytime soon for that matter. Just take me to Paris, please." _

_I looked down at her, "Maybe." _

_________________________

I threw a shot glass that I left with into the field where the memory shined vividly in my mind. I was the one who was supposed to travel across the pond with her. Not some lying, cheating, scum for a guy that she married. Me, I was supposed to give her romantic evenings in Europe, not Mr. Richie Rich. I kicked the ground and picked my pace up a little faster.

I stared up at Jackie's apartment building and waited for my feet to carry me the rest of the way. They didn't move though, as if they were telling me to get a grip and go back to the Foreman's. Libbey was in there, and I sure didn't want her to hear the words I had for Jackie. I paused, trying to make up my mind. Oh well, I could whisper. My feet moved faster than they had through the park, it was good to know that they were on my side now.

The lights in the complex were dimly lit for the night hours, no lights shined from underneath any of the tenants doors on the first floor. And only one lone light shined on the second floor. Damn, I thought to myself, I was really looking forward to waking her skinny little ass up. As my fist made contact with her door I could practically hear her jump. Something fell from the other side of the door and feet shuffled before Jackie's eyes peeked through the now open door. She rolled her eyes and shut the door.

"Open the damn door, Jackie!" I pounded again.

Jackie yanked the door open and quickly pulled me inside. She slammed the door shut, locked the locks, and gave me one good slap in the face. It stung like hell, but in some sick way I liked it.

"Who do you think you are?" She hissed.

I looked around half expecting Libbey to be in a corner.

"Huh?"

"If you shut up maybe I could tell you!" I barked, still looking around.

I gave up on Libbey, if she was here she would have been out here by now. I took a step towards Jackie, she was taken aback, probably not expecting me to come closer to her. And every step I took in advance, she took one in retreat.

"I am the guy who has read your stupid 'book of quotes' every night for the past nine months." I took another step. "The guy who woke up every morning praying to God that you were sitting on the couch filing your damn nails." Jackie froze at my next step. "I'm the guy who let the best thing that ever happened get away." Locomotion found her and she took another step back, right into the wall. "Who do you think you are?" I asked, placing my hands on the wall. Trapping her.

Jackie's chest rose and fell harshly, she stared up at me with eyes very much like Libbey's. She opened her mouth but noting came out. I felt a new sense of pride, I left her speechless.

"I'm..." She froze again, searching for words. "I'm a runner." She glanced over my arm.

"Don't run." I told her, resting my forearms on the wall now.

"I don't have a choice." She muttered, her chest still setting and rising fast.

"You have me."

"You're drunk." I pressed my body closer to hers.

"I'm determined."

"To what?" She swallowed slowly.

"To make you stay."

I kissed her neck and she let out a whimper. Screw the rules of matrimony. I had Jackie first and I was going to have her last. Germany would have to kill me before he got her back. Keeping one arm on the wall, I wrapped my other around her waist pulling her close to me. Jackie pushed me away as our tongues had began to do the dirty tango.

"No." She demanded and scrambled to the door with shaking knees. "You need to leave."

I stared at her for a minute or two before adjusting my shirt. "Fine." I said. I started towards the door and 'tripped' over my own two feet. I guess thats what I get for drinking and dancing. Jackie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I think I hurt my ankle." I whined rubbing my left ankle.

"So?"

I sneered up at her. "Can you at least help me up?"

I pulled Jackie down on the ground with me as she offered her hand. She shoved my chest and called me a stupid drunk as I laughed at her.

"Come on, Jacks."

"Steven." Jackie frowned. "You're drunk and if you do this, you'll regret it in the morning."

"I wouldn't." I shook my head and kissed her bottom lip. "Would you?" I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her more passionately. She had to want to stay with me. She couldn't leave me here in Point Place for Germany. Not again.

Jackie snaked her arms around my neck and kissed harder. "I'd rather regret doing it than regret not doing it."

I pulled her on top of me. We rolled, we moaned, moved from one room to the other. We knocked down everything that was in our path. It was great. I missed Jackie more than she could ever know and more than I would ever say. The sex wasn't what I had in mind for the first time since a long time ago. I would have much rather it been somewhere clean, on a bed prehaps, hell I wouldn't have objected to the park. But it didn't matter, not the passion, the heat, the sex, the kisses, none of it. Because the fact of the matter was that this was a one time thing, I knew full well that she wasn't staying here, she was going back with him.

.

"Jaja!" A high pitched voice called from the front room. I glanced up at the shower and then over at Jackie. I figured the voice was just a dream and I could feel myself falling back into a sleep until a fist pounded on Jackie's bedroom door.

I was under a rug, my head was spinning, and I was bare ass nude. Any string of dignity I had was now gone. I felt around for the alarm clock, I found it under the pillows that really served no use last night. It said it was noon, I figured she spent the night at someones house because if she had been home she would have pounded on the door sooner. Jackie groaned as I scooted closer to her and kissed her shoulder. I ran my fingers along her side and watched a smile play across her face. She didn't object when I nibbled on her ear and kissed her neck softly, but she objected big time to my hand on her leg.

"Not now."

I rolled over and used the bath tub to pick myself up.

Jackie giggled, "When did we end up in here?"

"Sometime between the first time and..." My voice trailed off when Jackie's bedroom door opened.

"Shit!" Jackie scrambled to her feet, wrapping the shower curtain around her as she shut the bathroom door.

"Jaja." Libbey's fingers were under the crack at the bottom of the door.

"Not right now Libs." Jackie told the little girl. "Jaja's going to jump into the shower."

"Hyde can come." I whispered and pulled her over to me.

Jackie pushed me back, "No he cannot."

I cupped her face and pulled in for a kiss. She moaned into my mouth and pressed her body against mine, she was now well aware of what she did to me. Her tongue played tricks with my mouth that should have been ruled illegal, they could make a man do bad things. But, of course, she untangled herself from me and handed me my jeans which were in the sink.

"You have to leave now before Libbey knows you're here."

.

"Where've you been all night?" Timo asked when I walked into the basement with the same clothes he had last saw me in. "Busy on the streets."

"Oh I was busy alright." I smirked.

Foreman and Donna exchanged looks. "What were you doing?"

"More like who were you doing." Fez grinned.

"I really don't want to hear about who or what Hyde's been doing."

"What has Hyde been doing?" Libbey skipped through the door, holding my shirt.

Jackie followed her, she was showered and wearing the same dress she had worn when she first introduced Libbey to everyone. She glanced at me with her eyebrows raised and a jerk of the head to Libbey, and then walked over and squeezed herself between Foreman and Donna. She crossed her arms and slouched back. Donna looked from her to me.

"Oh." She muttered.

"What?" Timo asked.

Donna gazed at Timo for a second, "I have twenty-eight teeth, I think."

Timo gave Donna a doubtful look. "Was ist dass?" Timo asked Libbey in her native language.

Libbey held up the Led Zeppelin shirt and Timo looked at me. "I found it."

"I bought it." Jackie spoke up. "Libbey wanted one like Hyde's.

Timo's jaw locked and he stood up, "Let's go, Jackie."

"She just got here." I leaned against the door.

"I want to go," Timo grabbed Jackie's arm.

"Hey man, just let her stay." Kelso said as he watched them from the arm chair.

"Say something, Jackie." I barked. "Grow some balls and take your stand." Jackie stared at me. "You deserve better than him, you hate him and you're with him."

"Like you're any better," Timo sneered.

"Jackie." I said. "You don't want him."

Something itched within me when Jackie kissed his cheek and took his hand. I should have seen it coming, I had seen, I knew that she was going to do this, and yet I allowed myself to get into her mess. Jackie stopped in front of me and put a piece of paper into the pocket of my jacket. I sucked on my cheek as I watched her walk away with Libbey and Timo.

"What...what does it say?" Foreman asked.

"I'm a runner." I whispered.

"No she isn't." Kelso laughed. I stared at the piece of paper.

"What are you going to do?" Donna asked as I took my jacket off and put a fresh shirt from the dryer on.

"What I should have done a long time ago."

**I have a new found obbsession: Buffy and Spike. If you know any really good fan fics, let me know. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. I'm writing the next one after this is posted so I can start picking up the flow of things. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you very much for the reviews. They made me happy and motivated. This is the last chapter, just so you know. No epilogue because this is a happy ending.**

"You're going to act normal?" Randy asked as I changed the closed sign to open. "Normal?"

"Yup." I nodded. "Why should I worry?"

"Oh, I don't know. It might have something to do with the fact that you let Jackie go...again."

"It's nothing I'm not use to." I snapped. "I've been through it before, drank my worries away. But now I have no worries. I hope she's happy with her damned life. I could care less if she's sloppy seconds to him."

Randy rolled his eyes and went into the back room.

I felt like a God damned idiot. I had spent all of yesterday looking for her by myself. I went to the spa, the salon, her old apartment. Old apartment. As in previously owned, previously lived in by a human being. I even went to see her dad in prison, he was a load of help alright. He probably give his buddies in the cell more than he gave me. All I got out of him was the bird and a fee of ten bucks for wasting his time. I never liked Jackie's dad much. But Jackie was not where. The only good news I got that whole day was that Timo still hadn't checked out of the motel room. So I stayed in the car all night waiting for Jackie, but by the time I needed to open shop, no one had come out.

I threw a record into the wall and shouted. What was wrong with her? Was she out of her mind? What was so great about Timo that she had to go running back to him when things got a little rough? Was he a big deal in some parts? I mean, if she liked that then great. but was she really that shallow? I kicked the pieces of the broken record under one of the stands. Damnit! Was he some kind of mind control freak?

"I'm looking for a certain record." I looked up at the sound of her voice. "You know, something I can move to, sexy, strong, and a little saucy would be nice."

"You're looking for something cheesy, we don't sell that crap here."

She frowned, "I heard it through the grapevine you do."

The elder Burkhart sifted through the record bins as she stared at her. I could have sworn she skipped town ages ago. I couldn't say I was glad to have her back, but then again I wouldn't mind if she stayed. Pam asked me if she would like the Styx, I pointed her towards the sissy crap that Jackie was pron to listening to. She also wanted to know where Jackie was, apparently news didn't travel as fast as everyone thought. I told her that I hadn't heard that she was in town in the first place.

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" She asked.

"What reason would I have to lie to you?"

"You couldn't possibly imagine the type of men I've met on the road. There are the guys who are so in touch with their feelings, the kind who are in touch with everyone else but themselves. And then there are the tough guys who have this sissy little girl on the inside of them. Just a small little one, but it's there and they would die before they let anyone see that little girl."

"Yeah, Pam, that's great. Thank you for the meaningless waste of your breath."

Pam rolled her eyes, "Okay you little brat, I know you know Jackie was here. Get over your pride and tell me where she is."

I twitched, "I don't know." Pam stared at me. "Honestly. She left with Libbey and her ass crack of a husband."

"Jackie's married?"

"And has a kid?"

Pam titled her head. I hated explaining everything to her, I felt like a damn fool telling her. I told her everything and I knew there was some thing that I should have done differently and something that I should have never let happen. I should have told Sam to leave earlier when Jackie and I still had a chance. Or I should have Timo to get his lying cheating ass out of America before I told the cops he was some kind of drug lord. I needed to have done something more than I did.

"Hey, man." Randy said walking out of the back room some time after me and Pam had our heart-to-heart. I blinked back any tears and put my shades back on. Randy checked me out before he went on. "I'm going to take some of your stuff up to the new house. Don't stay too long, I'm going to need some help. Got it?"

"Got it."

I drove around for a while after closing up the shop. I just drove with no destination in mind, I passed the motel three times, the park four, the Foreman's twice, and the Hub a lot. I wanted to get out at any one of them just to check, she had a knack for coming back. But I didn't get out, I kept my butt planted to the seat and cranked the music up. One time I thought I saw her walking out of the alley, but the girl was too tall to be her, besides, the girl was also coming out of an alley, somewhere Jackie would never go. I slammed on the breaks when I reached the park for the fifth time. I had to do something, anything.

The parking lot to the Chicago airport was packed, it took me about twenty minutes just to find a damn parking spot, and then some jack ass stole it. I doubted there would be any fire breaking out in the place while I was in there, so I assumed no one would be using the fire truck parking only spot. An old lady yelled at me when I got out of the El Camino and locked the door, but she was all bark and no bite. Nothing was stopping me now.

"Missing something?" I snapped around in the direction of the thick German accent.

Timo stood in line two people behind me with his luggage in one hand and passport in the other, but he was missing something. I shoved past the couple, grabbed Timo's shirt, and thrust him into the wall. A few people around me barked and shouted for security, but what the hell did I care for authority? They weren't my problem. Timo's nose made an ungodly cracking sound when my fist made contacted it. He yelped and winced in pain, but kneed my groin. I fell back to the ground and brought him down with me, the crowd around us was tightly packed and the authority was only heard.

Timo slammed my face into the ground and spit in front of me. Someone from the circling crowd grabbed me from the ground, attempting to keep the space between me and Timo. I wrenched my arm from his grip and went back at Timo.

"Where is she?" I kicked his stomach.

"You tell me." He coughed up some phlegm.

"What?"

The security finally made its way through the crowd. One of the big guys grabbed me and the other had Timo.

"Do you know who I am?" Timo snapped at one of the guards, he nodded to the passport on ground. "He's with me." He told the other guard once he was released. "Here." Timo pulled a piece of paper from his back pocket.

I read the scribbled words on the folded paper. "When did she give you this?"

Timo felt his nose, "Right before I got in line. This too." He fumbled through his bag and handed me a stack of papers. "I didn't know she was of money."

Divorce papers.

"She gave these just know too?"

Timo nodded, "You didn't know about these?"

I shook my head, where was she?

The crowd around us began to get back to what they were doing, seeing as no more fighting was going to be happening. Timo said that Jackie was quiet all night last night and only spoke his name once, to get his attention in line. He said she handed him the papers and the note, then picked Libbey up and left. That is when I showed up, sometime after she fled. I didn't know where she would go, neither did Timo. I thought maybe she'd go home, but then again, she didn't have one.

"She's mine, you know." I told Timo as he gathered his stuff.

"You didn't work very hard to keep her."

"Same to you."

I put the papers back in his bag, along with a little, I guess you could say, going away present. Timo nodded to me as he went back in line and I headed towards the front doors. As he had his back turned to me I hinted to the guard at the door that the tall foreign man had something of interest in his carry on bag. I figured if I couldn't do anything to Timo, the law could.

"What the hell?" I hissed at the sight of my car. Someone had scribbled on the front window. "What the fuck?"

_The other night dear, as I lay sleeping  
I dreamed I held you in my arms  
But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken  
So I hung my head and I cried._

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine  
You make me happy when skies are gray  
You'll never know dear, how much I love you  
Please don't take my sunshine away_

_I'll always love you and make you happy,  
If you will only say the same.  
But if you leave me and love another,  
You'll regret it all some day:_

"Jackie!" I called, recognizing the tiny writing. "Burkhart!"

A few people looked at me but none of them cared enough to ask what was wrong. Probably because I was in the fire lane. I opened the car door, praying to God she left me some hint to where she was or where she was going. But the only thing I found was my ring sitting in the passenger's chair. I cursed and stuffed the ring into my pocket, what kind of game was she playing? Where the hell was she? Did she want me to find her or was she going to find me. I kicked my door and groaned loudly. I almost had her, almost, maybe if I hated tossed Timo around I could have found her writing on the car. Damn it, I thought.

.

"Foreman," I said into the receiver when I returned to Grooves.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Is Jackie with you?"

"No. Are you drunk? She's going back, remember? I'm a runner..."

"No."

"No?"

"Yes, no!" I groaned. "I went to the airport. Timo said she took off. Where is she at?"

"I don't know, man."

"Look you little twig, I know you're her savior or whatever, where is she at?"

"I really don't know, man." Foreman squeaked. "She hasn't come around here and Donna..." The line grew silent as Foreman handed it over to Donna.

"She hasn't called either. So maybe she has someone else to stay with."

"What about Fez or Kelso?"

"They've been in the Foreman's kitchen all day. Mrs. Foreman is trying different recipes of pudding pie. Its like a pig house up there."

"Yeah, great." I rolled my eyes. "I'll call you when I find her."

"See ya."

I knew I should have done things differently when I had the chance. I should have stayed with her the first time I slept with her, I should have held her close, letting her know that this is what I wanted. But I didn't, I let it go like it meant nothing, when in fact it meant a lot. I kicked myself silently, what was wrong with me? She wanted me to fight for her I bet, fight till she knew that I was the one she belonged with. But didn't she already know that? Isn't that why she left Sam those Sunshine notes? I mean, I know that's why I left her them. And I knew she cared about me still, I could feel it. But what was wrong?

There was only so many places Jackie could go with a Libbey and no car. She obviously had to be somewhere around Chicago, it's not like she could have gone far with Libbey, not when the girl had to eat every half an hour or so. I double-checked the Hub and other places that Libbey liked eating, but no one had seen either of them. It was like they had just vanished into thin air, into time and space. How could no one have seen them? There had to be someone in this damn town. Randy was the only one who was innocent, he was stuck moving things. Unless she had called him, but then again, my house didn't have a phone yet. I punched the horn and startled a few people.

I was at my wits end when I pulled onto the street where Randy's car was parked in the lawn. I gridded my teeth, I told him to use the drive way, now I was going to have tire tracks in my lawn and the yard would look like shit compared to the other yards around it. Stupid. I let the El Camino sit in idle as I sorted my thoughts out. I didn't want to explode on Randy, especially since he was moving my stuff into the house, I needed him to do my labor, so I could enjoy independence quicker. I turned it off and headed up the front path for the first time as a house owner.

Randy was sitting on the couch watching the static screen on the television and listening to a record. He pulled a beer from the cooler sitting next to him. It was warm.

"There's ice in the kitchen." He said. "Cable guy is coming out tomorrow, phone company will be here in an hour or so, and welcome home."

"If only." I grinned and raised my bottle.

The living room led into a small hallway, straight back was the bedroom and right across from that was the guest bathroom and bedroom. To the left was the study room and dining room. And then to the right was the kitchen, it was a little bigger than the Foreman's, but not nearly as home-like. It lacked something that Kitty brought to her kitchen, I didn't know what it was, but I knew it the first time I walked into the kitchen. It radiated it. But this time when I walked into my kitchen, I felt something different. It was there, I could feel it. And when I turned towards the fridge, it was standing there, looking up at the walls with pursed lips.

I watched her for a little bit, making sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. Well, they weren't, but that's not to say my mind wasn't. It spoke though, that might not have been good, but it spoke.

"I don't like this color very much, it makes me look bad, especially in this light. I was thinking we could paint it brown, like a coffee bean brown and then use that color to decorate around it. Make it look like a coffee shop, you know?"

Jackie started to speak but I cut her off, kissing her passionately, I needed to know I wasn't dreaming. I held her close, it had to be her, dreams never got me feeling like this.

"What are you doing here?" I asked pulling away.

She grinned and pecked my lips, "Every runner has an ending point." She kissed me again. "Besides, I told you, I'll always love you and make you happy if you -"

"I love you." I said, kissing her again even more wanting than the first one. "Always."

**And so it begins...**


End file.
